FACTS ABOUT POTATO
Among the most popular foods in the world, potatoes are fourth after rice, wheat, and corn. Potato is also derived from the Spanish word Patata. The potato became the first vegetable to be grown in space in 1995 when seeds germinated aboard the space shuttle Columbia. According to history, the first people to cultivate potatoes were the South Americans, who did so in 200 BC.
Potatoes are produced in India in the third-largest quantities in the world. Globally, China grows the most potatoes and is also the top consumer, rounding up to about 47 million tons per year.
MCDONALD FRENCH FRIES
The origin of French fries has been traced back to Belgian farmers in Europe, and historians claim that potatoes were being fried and consumed by farmers as snack food in the late 1600s.
The decision to open in Gujarat came after McDonald tested out various locations around the country for several years. First of all, this part of the country doesn’t get any winter rain, and the nights and early mornings are not fogged, so the potatoes sprout. A large number of Gujarati farmers are also entrepreneurial and quick learners.
Potatoes should be properly stored once harvested. McDonald’s therefore modified their cold storage to meet their stringent quality requirements. High-temperature storage was introduced – potatoes were stored at much higher temperatures (8-12 degrees Celsius) than in traditional cold storage (3-4 degrees Celsius). This allows potatoes to last longer and decreases the likelihood of sugar developing in stored potatoes, which leads to brown fries that look and taste horrible.
Using drip irrigation, they were able to save 30 to 50 percent of the water otherwise consumed. They also produce 30-40 percent more per hectare. After seven years of preparing, McCain decided to invest $40 million in Mehsana, Gujarat and open a plant.
POTATO FARMING FOR PEPSICO
PepsiCo India has been combining deep insights into Indian farming with its global technical expertise for the past 25 years to transform the lives of farmers.
By providing new varieties, technologies, and sustainable farming practices, PepsiCo India works with over 24,000 happy farmers across nine states through the crop lifecycle.
HELPING FARMERS IMPROVE YIELD AND INCOME
The company’s vision is to create a cost-effective, localized agri-supply chain for its business by: Building PepsiCo’s stature as a development partner by helping farmers grow more and earn more.
- Introducing several new varieties of high-yielding potatoes and other edibles.
- Implementing sustainable farming methods and practising collaborative farming.
- Making world-class agricultural practices available to farmers and helping them increase productivity.
- Collaboration with farmers and state governments to improve agri-sustainability and crop diversification.
- Providing custom solutions according to geographical and location needs.
- Providing financial and insurance services to de-risk farming.
COLLABORATIVE FARMING – POTATO
Through PepsiCo’s 360-degree farmer-connect program, small and marginal farmers all over India have transformed their lives.
A collaboration between PepsiCo India and Process-grade potato producers was first introduced in India in 2004-05. Currently, PepsiCo works with farmers in West Bengal, Maharashtra, Punjab, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, Haryana, and Chattisgarh. More than 45 percent are small and marginal farmers with landholdings of less than an acre. As part of PepsiCo India’s 360-degree farmer connect program, PepsiCo India has helped improve their incomes in the following ways:
- Producers are protected from price fluctuations on the open market by pre-agreed buybacks.
- Provision of high-quality plant material, including proprietary advanced seed varieties.
- The company offers advanced plant protection technologies developed in conjunction with agri-input companies such as DuPont, Bayer, and BASF.
- State Bank of India offers soft loans through a tie-up at the national level.
- Provision of crop/weather risk insurance in partnership with leading insurance companies.