Food and beverages giant PepsiCo India said Thursday it will withdraw the cases it has filed against potato farmers in Gujarat for allegedly growing a variety of the tuber for which the company claims Plant Variety Protection (PVP) rights. PepsiCo in April sued a few farmers for cultivating a potato variety grown exclusively for its popular Lay's potato chips, leading to an outcry and protests.In a statement, PepsiCo India said it has agreed to withdraw cases after discussions with the government. In its statement, PepsiCo India said its collaboration with farmers has benefited many farmers across the country. "To safeguard the larger interest of farmers, PepsiCo India was compelled to take judicial recourse to protect its registered variety. Before that, over 190 activists had demanded that Union government ask PepsiCo India to withdraw the cases.

Source: dna May 02, 2019 15:00 UTC