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A Perennial Favourite

Cyprus red soil potatoes are famous for their excellent taste and flavour worldwide. A winner in many taste panels worldwide, for securing the best result whether baked, fried or boiled

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Cyprus red soil potatoes easily stand out due to their reddish skin, obtained from the fertile red soil of Kokkinohoria (red soil villages) in the eastern region of Cyprus, where they are cultivated. They are also grown to the west of Lefkosia. The main varieties are Spunta, Nicola, Charlotte, etc. Their size ranges from baby potatoes to medium as well as big baker size.

The extensive cultivation of potatoes on the island began in 1909. From that period, the establishment of potato exports was seriously considered. Potatoes grown in red soil were of higher demand and sold at a better price. Until the independence in 1960, the island exported potatoes mostly to Great Britain and Western Europe. Red-soil potato, remains to this day, one of Cyprus’ biggest export products.

Traditional Farming

From the planting process until the uplifting, our growers keep traditional practices and care about environmental issues, producing healthy potatoes for the consumers. Every single potato is hand-picked from the ground and packed.

Seasonality

Potatoes are cultivated in two separate seasons, providing nine months of continuous fresh potatoes. The spring crop is planted in November/February and harvested in March/June. The seeds for this crop are generally imported and EU-certified. A portion of the spring crop is reserved as seed for the winter crop, planted in August/October and harvested in November/February. Both spring and winter crops are irrigated. After being uplifted, the tubers are collected by hand and packaged close to the fields, ensuring the freshness of the product.

Sustainable production

Cyprus potatoes are considered to be fully compliant to sustainable farming and production, having been GLOBALG.A.P certified. In recent years, the usual practice has been to plant potatoes once every three years. According to the applied three-year rotation, planting with potatoes is followed by cereals for the next year and no planting at all for the third year. This secures strong fields as well as keeping the environment safe and sustainable.

Gastronomy

Cyprus red soil potatoes can be cooked in various ways such as oven-baked, boiled, fried, stuffed, mashed, etc. They are also used as an ingredient in several other dishes.

For more information

Email: ts@meci.gov.cy | Website: www.meci.gov.cy

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