In many populations, hidden hunger continues to be a serious nutritional problem even when people get enough calories. Biofortified crops are being bred to raise the amount of essential vitamins and minerals people get from their everyday meals. Against this backdrop, ICAR-CPRI (Indian Council of Agricultural Research- Central Potato Research Institute) has developed nutrient-rich coloured potato varieties such as Kufri neelkanth, Kufri manik, and Kufri jamunia. These varieties carry valuable antioxidants and micronutrients, including anthocyanins, iron, and zinc. Of these, Kufri jamunia stands out as a significant step forward because of its higher Vitamin C, anthocyanin, and carotenoid content. With a better nutritional profile, eye-catching purple flesh, and strong popularity among consumers, it is a key variety for tackling hidden hunger and strengthening nutritional security.
Potatoes Beyond Calories: Addressing Hidden Hunger
Even with adequate calorie intake, hidden hunger is still a major public health concern. It arises when people eat enough food but their diets fall short on essential vitamins and minerals. To tackle this problem, scientists are increasingly breeding biofortified crops with higher nutritional value. Biofortification raises the nutrient content of crops through plant breeding, so that food naturally supplies greater amounts of essential nutrients. While conventional food fortification adds nutrients at the processing stage, biofortification builds nutrition into the crop itself. This offers a sustainable, low-cost way to improve the nutritional quality of everyday foods. It also reinforces nutritional security over the long term.
A notable result of biofortification research is the development of coloured potato varieties with greater nutritional value. These include potatoes with red, purple, and blue flesh. Natural pigments in these potatoes, such as anthocyanins and carotenoids, give them their characteristic colours. Coloured potatoes are packed with antioxidants and micronutrients like iron and zinc.
Nutrient-Rich Coloured Potato Varieties Developed by ICAR-CPRI
The nutrient-rich coloured potato varieties developed by ICAR-CPRI (Indian Council of Agricultural Research- Central Potato Research Institute) are listed below:
Released in 2018, Kufri Neelkanth was the first purple-skinned specialty potato variety developed by ICAR-CPRI (Central Potato Research Institute). It can be grown in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. The variety is recognised for its high antioxidant content. It is suitable for consumers of every age group.
Kufri manik was released in 2021. Its tubers are round and an attractive deep red, with medium eyes and yellow flesh. This nutrient-rich variety has high levels of anthocyanin, zinc, and iron.
Kufri jamunia was formally released in 2024. Compared with Kufri manik and Kufri neelkanth, this variety has higher levels of ascorbic acid, anthocyanin, and carotenoids. Its purple flesh points to a high antioxidant content and superior nutritional quality. Kufri jamunia also has higher levels of zinc and iron. Suitable for table use, the variety brings novelty to a range of dishes thanks to its distinctive purple colour. As a result, it has been found to enjoy very high consumer appeal.
Kufri jamunia: A Biofortified Purple Potato for Nutritional Security
Kufri jamunia is a medium-maturing variety with medium-tall plants and a semi-compact canopy. Its tubers have dark purple skin and purple flesh. The tubers are oblong, with shallow eyes and a mealy texture. Every plant yields 10–12 medium to large tubers.
Salient characteristics of Kufri jamunia are: • Yields 32-35 tonnes per hectare when recommended cultivation practices are followed. • Gave a yield of around 49 tonnes per hectare in station trials at 90 days duration. • In trials, marketable yield was close to 90% of total production. • Has a medium dormancy period of about 6-8 weeks. As a result, the tubers do not sprout early. • Stores well, with low rotting and minimal weight loss.
Key Nutritional Components in Kufri Jamunia
Kufri jamunia has 42.05 mg/100 g of anthocyanins in its flesh and 80.66 mg/100 g in its skin. Its flesh also holds around 42.75 mg/100 g of Vitamin C. Carotenoid content in the flesh is about 161 µg/100 g fresh weight. The flesh also contains roughly 22.77 ppm zinc and 32.23 ppm iron. The table below compares the nutritional value of Kufri jamunia with that of a conventional yellow-skinned potato:
Beyond its nutritional benefits, Kufri jamunia lends itself to many culinary uses. It is prized for its attractive purple colour, mealy texture, and pleasant taste. This makes it a good fit for traditional recipes as well as processed food products. Its distinctive colour also makes dishes and processed foods more visually appealing.
Purple-fleshed potatoes like Kufri jamunia can be used in a number of preparations, such as:
Traditional dishes: vegetable curry, paratha, puri, and raita
Breakfast and snack preparations: daliya, halwa, upma, dosa, and idli batter
Processed products: potato flour for bakery items, soups, and cookies
The tubers can also be turned into dehydrated products such as anthocyanin-rich daliya, suji, and flour, for use as ingredients in a variety of food formulations.
States Suitable for Kufri jamunia Cultivation
For large-scale adoption, a crop variety must perform reliably across different agro-climatic conditions. In multi-location trials, Kufri jamunia has shown consistent performance and has been recommended for growing in the North Indian plains. It is regarded as suitable for several states where potato is cultivated extensively.
The climate and soil in these regions favour successful cultivation of the variety.
The Nutritional and Agricultural Promise of Kufri jamunia
Kufri jamunia marks a significant step in India's development of biofortified potato varieties. Pairing sound agronomic performance with better nutritional quality, it benefits farmers and consumers alike. Its abundance of antioxidants, vitamins, and micronutrients makes it a useful contribution to improving dietary diversity and fighting hidden hunger. Given its attractive look, versatility in the kitchen, and adaptability across several states of the North Indian plains, Kufri jamunia holds strong promise for wider cultivation and consumption in the years ahead.
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
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