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New potato variety suitable for French fries released by CPRI
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Tuesday, 07 April, 2009, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, Mumbai
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During the last six months, the Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI), Shimla, has released a new potato variety Kufri Frysona. This is the first ever potato variety from India suitable for preparation of French fries. The trials conducted on the variety have shown its suitability for cultivation in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. The variety produces long tubers having more than 20% dry matter, says S K Pandey, director, CPRI.
According to a report in The Financial Express, the breeder seeds will be produced after it is notified either by the state or central variety release committee. However, its quality seed as well as disease-free in-vitro planting material will be available to farmers from next year.
Pandey said it was a good sign that potato production was increasing with the advent of several new high-yielding varieties like Kufri Pushkar for the entire Indo-Gangetic belt, Kufri Sadabahar for Uttar Pradesh, Kufri Surya for warmer areas like Karnataka and Maharashtra. Looking to the estimated demand of nearly 50 million tonnes of potato by 2020, for a population of 1.3 billion, these varieties would help meet the requirement, he said.
Pandey said the potato processing sector had slowly emerged as a very large industry with more than 35-40 processing units located in various parts of the country. They were engaged in value-added products like potato powder, chips and French fries. The development of indigenous high dry varieties of Kufri Chipson series has given boost to the sector in recent years.
It is estimated that by 2010-11, nearly 10% of the total potato produced in the country will be consumed by the processing industry, which at present is merely 4.5%. This will provide good returns to the farmers on one hand and will also absorb excess supplies during a glut.
According to the CPRI, the area under potato rose by almost 547% since the 50s, while yield rose by 267% and overall output jumped by 146%. In 2008-09, potato production is estimated to be around 28 million tonnes as against 25 million tonnes achieved last year. Potato is a highly nutritious food and the crop can be produced in 90 to 100 days. Its wide adaptability in planting and harvesting makes it an ideal crop to grow between two major crops. The UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), while declaring 2008 as the International Year of Potato, has stated that the wonder crop may provide answers to critical food security problems faced by a large number of under-developed countries.
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