A significant step forward for India’s agricultural sector and food processing industry was marked by the recent release of Kufri Chip Bharat-1, a new potato processing variety. This important innovation was unveiled by Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the Hon’ble Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development, on the occasion of ICAR Foundation Day in New Delhi. The event was attended by other key dignitaries, including Shri Bhagirath Choudhary, Union Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Dr. Mangi Lal Jat, Secretary (DARE) & Director General (ICAR), and Dr. Brajesh Singh, Director, ICAR-CPRI Shimla.
Potatoes hold a crucial position in global food security, being the world’s third most important food crop, after rice and wheat. India is a major player in potato production, ranking as the second largest producer globally after China, cultivating approximately 60 million tonnes from an area of 2.2 million hectares, with an average productivity of 24 tonnes per hectare. The ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI) in Shimla has been instrumental in this success, with its developed potato varieties accounting for over 94% of the country’s total potato cultivation area. These varieties have also gained popularity beyond India’s borders.
The introduction of Kufri Chip Bharat-1, also known by its advanced hybrid designation MP/12-126, is a direct response to the increasing demand from the potato processing industry in India. While countries in Europe and the US process more than 50% of their potato produce, India currently processes only about 10%. To bridge this gap and meet the specific requirements of processing industries, Kufri Chip Bharat-1 has been developed to exhibit excellent traits for processing into chips, offering medium maturity compared to previously developed varieties.
This new release builds upon the Central Potato Research Institute’s established track record in developing high-quality processing potato varieties. The concerted research efforts of CPRI led to the release of India’s first two potato processing varieties, Kufri Chipsona-1 and Kufri Chipsona-2, in 1998. These were followed by Kufri Chipsona-3 in 2005 for the Indian plains and Kufri Himsona in 2007 for hilly regions. These varieties revolutionised potato utilisation in India within a decade. Their characteristics include:
- High yield, typically exceeding 30 tonnes per hectare.
- Dry matter content ranging from 21-24%.
- Low reducing sugars (less than 0.1% on a fresh tuber weight basis), low phenols, and low glycoalkaloids.
- Minimal undesirable colour (less than 5%) and total defects (less than 15%) in chips.
Looking ahead, CPRI continues its robust research efforts, with future priorities including the development of varieties specifically for French fries, varieties resistant to cold sweetening, and short-duration crisping varieties. An advanced hybrid, MP/98-71, has already been released as Kufri Frysona to cater to French fry industries. The Institute is also working on five short-duration crisping hybrids, which are in advanced stages of testing and have shown high yields within 75 days. Both conventional breeding and biotechnological methods are being employed to develop cold chipping varieties.
The launch of Kufri Chip Bharat-1 represents another milestone in India’s journey towards agricultural innovation and meeting the evolving demands of its rapidly growing food processing sector.
