By IANS
Shimla : A new potato species less prone to disease has been produced in Himachal Pradesh that could give a much needed fillip to the state's receding production.
Scientists at the Central Potato Research Institute of India (CPRI) here have come up with the 'Kufri Himsona' (Kufri Himgold) breed of potatoes, which they say is more resistant to dry weather and has a longer shelf life than any other grown in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakand and Jammu and Kashmir.
They say Kufri Himgold, if successfully grown on a large scale, could give a boost to potato production. The crop area has dropped from 48,000 hectares to 12,000 hectares in the hill state in three decades.
The new variety will be harvested from May to August and will fetch higher prices than existing varieties due to better taste as well.
Himgold is also expected to be in high demand of the fast growing potato chips industry.