India’s Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, acting on the recommendations of the Central Seed Committee, has officially approved four new potato varieties developed by ICAR-CPRI (Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla) for nationwide cultivation and seed production. A particular emphasis has been placed on varieties tailored for the processing industry, a move designed to reduce the country’s dependence on imported raw materials. The standout among these is Kufri Chipbharat-1, a medium-maturing variety that reaches maturity in roughly 100 days and delivers high yields of 35–38 tonnes per hectare. Its key characteristics make it ideally suited for chip production: dry matter content of around 21% and low levels of reducing sugars, which ensure an acceptable colour in the finished product. The variety produces round tubers with creamy-white flesh and shallow eyes. A second variety in the series, Kufri Chipbharat-2, is likewise intended for processing and is geared toward ensuring stable supplies of raw material for the food industry.
These varieties will be licensed to seed producers and processors in order to provide the industry with high-quality, predictable raw material. In addition to the processing-focused varieties, two table varieties were approved: Kufri Ratan and Kufri Tejas. Both are high-yielding table potatoes aimed at raising overall productivity and improving resilience to climatic stress. The approval of this diverse set of varieties reflects a dual strategy — strengthening the processing sector’s domestic supply chain while simultaneously enhancing the productivity and climate resilience of India’s potato farming sector as a whole.
