Ahmedabad: Beverage and snack major PepsiCo India withdrew cases against nine farmers, who it had earlier claimed to have grown and sold two varieties of potato for which the company had intellectual property rights to. PepsiCo, which uses FL2027 or FC5 varieties of potatoes to make chips under its popular brand Lay’s, had filed suits against four farmers in Ahmedabad commercial court this April and against five other farmers at district court of Modasa last year.
The company had claimed violation of Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act, 2001 and sought 10 mn rupees in estimated damages from the four farmers and 2 mn rupees each from the rest. While it claimed it had withdrawn the cases after discussion with government over amicable solution, farmer groups underlined their efforts in outing PepsiCo on the back foot. A group of 192 farmer leaders, civil society representatives and activists had come together to oppose the cases, which were also taking political overtone amid ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
