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Relevance: GS-II (Health) | GS-III (Agriculture) | Source: The Hindu
The Context: India suffers heavily from “hidden hunger”—when people eat enough daily calories, but literally starve for essential vitamins. To fix this, scientists have developed ‘Kufri Jamunia’, a striking purple potato packed with nutrients. But getting farmers to grow it, and families to eat it, brings a whole new set of challenges.
1. The Super-Potato: What Makes It Special?
- Not a GMO: Developed by the ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI), this is a natural crossbreed, not a genetically modified organism.
- The Purple Power: Its unique purple skin and flesh come from anthocyanins—the exact same powerful antioxidants found in jamun and blueberries.
- Nutrient Dense: Compared to a normal potato, Kufri Jamunia packs nearly double the Vitamin C, eight times the Zinc, and five times the Iron.
2. The Farming Roadblocks
Creating a nutritious crop in a lab is easy; making it profitable in the field is hard.
- Lower Yields: This variety simply produces fewer potatoes per hectare than standard market alternatives.
- The Price Trap: Because the harvest is smaller, a farmer must sell these purple potatoes at a 15% higher price just to break even and match their usual income.
- Disease Risks: In open fields, Kufri Jamunia is highly vulnerable to “late blight” (a deadly potato disease). This forces farmers to spend extra money on chemical fungicide sprays.
3. The Consumer Catch
- The Cooking Problem: Traditional Indian cooking involves heavy stir-frying, which completely destroys these delicate vitamins. To actually get the health benefits, the potato must be steamed or microwaved.
- Visual Shock: A purple potato curry looks highly unusual. Experts worry that buyers might reject it simply because of its strange colour, even if it is healthier.
Practice MCQ
Q. Consider the following statements regarding nutritional strategies in agriculture:
- Biofortification involves manually adding essential micronutrients to processed foods during the manufacturing stage.
- The distinct purple coloration and antioxidant properties of the Kufri Jamunia potato are primarily due to the presence of anthocyanins.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (b) 2 only
Hint: Statement 1 is incorrect because manually adding nutrients in a factory is called food fortification. Biofortification refers to naturally breeding crops to increase their nutritional value as they grow. Statement 2 is correct; anthocyanins give the potato its purple colour and antioxidant benefits.
Hint: Statement 1 is incorrect because manually adding nutrients in a factory is called food fortification. Biofortification refers to naturally breeding crops to increase their nutritional value as they grow. Statement 2 is correct; anthocyanins give the potato its purple colour and antioxidant benefits.
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