Cultivation of purple potatoes expands in Anatolia

AMASYA

The cultivation of the purple potato, greatly popular for its contributions to healthy living and skincare in Europe, has been expanded in the Anatolian lands, with this initiative commenced in the Central Anatolian province of Eskişehir now poising to infuse vibrancy into the local economy in the eastern city of Erzurum.

Hayriye Kuşçu, a proficient farmer from Eskişehir, received an education in nutritional intolerance at Cambridge University in the U.K. and conducted a groundbreaking endeavor in 2020 by initiating the cultivation of purple potatoes on a 10-hectare plot, marking the very first instance of such an endeavor in Türkiye.

Trial plantations of purple potatoes were undertaken in the southern provinces of Adana and Hatay and the Central Anatolian province of Sivas, ultimately spanning a total cultivation area of 450 hectares.

As news of these purple potatoes has also piqued the interest of the people in Erzurum, a delegation visited Amasya, another plant area, to inspect the harvest.

Hakan Oral, the head of the Erzurum Chamber of Commerce, highlighted the high added value of purple potatoes, indicating their intention to carry out trial plantations in the upcoming period.

Pointing out that Erzurum currently produces approximately 300,000 tons of other potato varieties annually, Oral underscored the purple potato can be sold at prices three to four times higher and offers numerous health benefits due to its high content of anthocyanin and antioxidants, notably beneficial in the combat against cancer.