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PepsiCo drops lawsuit against Indian farmers over potatoes used in Lays chips

PepsiCo has backed down from a controversial fight with Indian farmers it accused of illegally growing its registered potatoes.

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By
Rishi Iyengar
, CNN Business
CNN — PepsiCo has backed down from a controversial fight with Indian farmers it accused of illegally growing its registered potatoes.

The company said Thursday that it would withdraw a lawsuit it had filed against four Indian farmers for growing a potato variety the company had registered for exclusive use in its Lays potato chips.

"After discussions with the [Indian] government, the company has agreed to withdraw cases against farmers," a PepsiCo India spokesperson said in a statement. "We are relying on the said discussions to find a long term and an amicable resolution of all issues around seed protection."

PepsiCo had offered to settle with the farmers last week after its legal action triggered widespread protests from agricultural unions and activists.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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