The cultivation of purple potatoes, known for their contributions to healthy living and skincare in Europe, is expanding in the Anatolian region.

What began as an initiative in the Central Anatolian province of Eskişehir will now invigorate the local economy in Erzurum in eastern Türkiye.

Hayriye Kuşçu, a skilled farmer from Eskişehir, received training in nutritional intolerance at the University of Cambridge in the U.K.

In 2020, she initiated the cultivation of purple potatoes on a 10-hectare plot, marking the first instance of such an endeavor in Türkiye.

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

The growing popularity of these purple potatoes has also piqued the interest of the people in Erzurum. A delegation visited Amasya, another area with purple potato cultivation, to inspect the harvest.

Hakan Oral, the head of the Erzurum Chamber of Commerce, emphasized the high added value of purple potatoes. He expressed their intention to conduct trial plantations in the near future.

Erzurum currently produces approximately 300,000 tons of other potato varieties annually. Purple potatoes can be sold at prices three to four times higher, offering numerous health benefits due to their high content of anthocyanin and antioxidants, which are notably effective in combating cancer.