Punjab
High-Value Purple Potato Farming Promoted in Punjab
- 16 Mar 2026
- 2 min read
Why in News?
High-value purple potato farming is gaining attention in Punjab after a young farmer successfully promoted its cultivation, demonstrating its potential to generate significantly higher income compared to traditional crops.
Key Points:
- Innovative Farming: A 27-year-old farmer from Matta village in Faridkot district of Punjab has promoted the cultivation of purple potatoes.
- Origin: Purple potatoes are believed to have originated in the Andean region of South America, particularly Bolivia and Peru, where coloured potato varieties have been grown for centuries.
- Purple potato cultivation can generate ₹6 lakh to ₹20 lakh per acre, depending on yield and market demand, making it far more profitable than many traditional crops.
- Nutritional Benefits: Purple potatoes are rich in anthocyanins (powerful antioxidants) and vitamin C, and are considered healthier than conventional potatoes.
- Indian Variety: In 2024, India introduced its own purple potato variety “Kufri Jamunia”, developed by the Central Potato Research Institute to promote cultivation of nutritionally enriched potato varieties.
- Crop Duration: The crop duration is about 90–100 days, typically sown between October and November and harvested from February to March, similar to conventional potato crops.
- Agricultural Significance: The success of purple potato farming highlights the potential for crop diversification and high-value agriculture, offering farmers an alternative to traditional wheat-paddy cropping patterns in Punjab.
| Read More: Crop diversification |
