Let's talk corporates! Namely PepsiCo!
In the early 90's PepsiCo wanted to see soft drinks in India. At that time, only CocoCola had managed to get into the Indian market and they had pretty much taken over.
#FarmersMakeIndia
#FarmersProtest
GOI set the condition, that PepsiCo must also open up a food processing plants in India. So, PepsiCo moved into Punjab and set up contracts with local farmers for tomatoes and chilli which they were able to use for their sister company PizzaHut.
#FarmersMakeIndia
#FarmersProtest
Then in the late 90's, PepsiCo sold/closed the factories and just decided that they were no longer going to do contract farming in Punjab. BUT during this time they had also entered into contract farming in Gujarat for potatoes.
#FarmersMakeIndia
#FarmersProtest
The potatoes were for PepsiCo sister company, Lays. And the issues were that majority of the contracts were verbal, second, if the crop didn't meet PepsiCo standard, they wouldn't buy it. The only loser in this situation was the farmer.
#FarmersMakeIndia
#FarmersProtest
These quality checks were ways for the company middleman to make some money via bribes. Bribes would sometimes be 2-4 lakh rupees, this would devastate a small farmer.
#FarmersMakeIndia
#FarmersProtest
So eventually what ended up happening was that Lays would only go into contract with bigger farmers - and if they ever did work with medium/small farmers then it ended up being harder for them to break even.
#FarmersProtest
#FarmersMakeIndia
On top of everything else, to get into the company, you needed a gate pass. And this gateposts was only given to people who were "servile", those that were willing to go the extra mile to please the company.The farmers would be so (con't)
#FarmersProtest
#FarmersMakeIndia
frustrated that they would just dump the potatoes on the street. Also, PepsiCo would purposely give out inadequate seeds & sell seedlings to non contract farmers so there was always a surplus of crop and they could keep the prices low.
#FarmersProtest
#FarmersMakeIndia.
Also, PepsiCo was supposed to open up ~7 bottling facilities in Punjab and thus far their has only been one.
What's the lesson? Corporates and Farmers don't mix.
#FarmersProtest
#FarmersMakeIndia
So here's the other thing. When the farmers tried to sell the potatoes elsewhere, PepsiCo tried to sue them because they owned the seeds. Yeh they withdrew their case but we have to understand that this is where and how farmers get stuck.
#FarmersProtest
#FarmersMakeIndia

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More from @Monica_Gill1

17 Feb
Dear @swamy39, you seemed like someone with a decent amount of literacy in a party full of imbeciles. Propagating the narrative below is beneath you. I highly advise you to check yourself. The below has absolutely no truth to it.
#FarmersProtest
There is no connection between Sikhism and Hinduism. Sikhism is an INDEPENDENT religion. Completely. This is a great example of the RSS agenda to some how make it a sect of Hinduism. And they have Harvard graduates propagating it. SHAME ON YOU @Swamy39!
#FarmersProtest
This is why we all need to be aware of what’s going on around us. This is why we need to read about our history and Punjab’s history. This guys is a Harvard grad, and he’s ABSOLUTELY delusional. @Swamy39 , stop writing garbage books.
#FarmersProtest
Read 4 tweets
16 Feb
"People describe the farmer as the lord of grains, but no one sees whether he, himself eats or not. It is the biggest wonder of the world that the one who produces remains hungry. I tell the Raja/Nawab and all types of govt (cont)
#RememberSirChhotuRamInModiEra
#FarmersProtest
of Hindustan to not harass the farmer to the extent that he stands up..Other people break the law when they get angry, w/ a govt, but when the farmer would get angry, he would not only break the law, he would also break the govt."
#RememberSirChhotuRamInModiEra
#FarmersProtest
Who was Chaudary Chhotu Ram? Sir Chhotu Ram was born into a well known Jat family in a village in Haryana on Nov 24, 1881. He got his law degree from Agra College in 1910 ad started practicing in 1905.
#RememberSirChhotuRamInModiEra
#FarmersProtest Image
Read 14 tweets

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