Private sector (McCain and PepsiCo) contacted for value addition of potato through contract farming

Abstract

CIP has motivated the private processing companies like PepsiCo, McCain and Simplot to be a part of the project by organizing personal meetings. PepsiCo has tentatively committed adoption of 10 farmers for contract farming of potato as a first step for PPP involvement for value chain. The McCain has also shown interest to start their commercial seed production through contract farming. Planning has been made for a PPP meeting on 19 August 2015 at Jodhpur. The stakeholders including scientists, local government official, State Government Officials, representatives of Processing companies like PepsiCo, McCain and Simplot, ITC seed company, selected potato grower (farmers) of Gujarat and Rajasthan and CGIAR centres working for DS (Bio-versity, ICRISAT, ICARDA) will be participating. The purpose of meeting is to discuss the farming system of dry land system and opportunities to bringing different actors together in State to improve livelihood of resource poor farmers by introducing potato as cash crop in the system, innovative water saving technologies and contact farming a model exiting in Gujarat, West Bengal, Maharashtra States etc.