Peru unveils "the giant potato" as a breakthrough solution to world hunger

Peru is famous as the home of the potato, but few people know the origins of the humble tuber. According to historians, the potato was developed by the pre-Inca locals over hundreds of years of cross-fertilizations from native wild varieties. In recent years scientists at the Centro Internacional de la Papa, in La Molina, Lima have been adding modern genetic engineering technology to the ancient art of potato cross pollenation. Over the last ten years they have unveiled potato varieties resistant to various diseases and even frosts, allowing cultivation for longer periods in difficult geographical areas, such as at high altitude and in the Amazon basin.

This all adds up, and modern Peru is now home to an impressive 5,000 varieties of potato, 3,500 or so of which that are grown by locals up and down the country. But we now have to make that 5,001, as this week the boffins at CIP unveiled this new variety that may change the face of world nutrition demands once and for all.

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Provisionally named "Peruano Papón" and grown in experimental conditions in the Andahuaylas region of Sierra Peru, this giant potato grows to a weight of up to 200kg per single potato in just five months, from seeding to harvest. Scientists also claim that it yields an incredible 250 tonnes per hectare, which is five times the yield of even the best cropping potato out there.

The variety has now been passed to international food bodies such as the FDA in the United States and the European Union's Farming Commission for further tests and genetic safety experiments. If all goes well, the potato may be commericalized in as little as three years from now. The benefits that such a cheap source of nutrition can bring the developing world cannot be underestimated.



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