Context:
India is set to introduce bio-fortified potatoes enriched with iron, aimed at combating nutritional deficiencies. The initiative is led by the International Potato Center (CIP), a global leader in tuber crop research, which is currently setting up its South Asia Regional Centre in Agra.
Key Highlights:
- Bio-Fortified Potato
- Bio-fortified potatoes are a new variety enriched with higher iron content aimed at addressing iron deficiency and hidden hunger.
- These are developed using conventional breeding and biotechnology without altering taste or yield.
- New Bio-Fortified Potato Variety:
- Developed by CIP with added iron content to address widespread iron deficiency and anaemia.
- The germplasm has been shared with ICAR’s Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI) in Shimla.
- The first iron-rich variety has already been released in Peru and is now under evaluation for Indian agro-climatic conditions.
- Bio-Fortified Sweet Potatoes Already in India:
- Vitamin A-enriched sweet potatoes, also developed by CIP, are currently cultivated and distributed in:
- Karnataka
- Assam
- West Bengal
- Odisha
- Vitamin A-enriched sweet potatoes, also developed by CIP, are currently cultivated and distributed in:
- Scaling Access to Farmers:
- CIP plans to expand seed access to Indian farmers to promote wider adoption of nutrient-rich tuber crops.
- Focus on integrating agronomic suitability with nutritional value in local crop development.
- Ideal Location
- The potato research and seed multiplication centre will be located in the Indo-Gangetic plains, the world’s largest potato-producing region, making it strategically important for national and global potato supply chains.
