Let's talk business...

Berry-business.
Finally starting to understand who's who in berry-land.
Local people aka Ladakhi: try to earn a living by picking berries that can only be harvested one year a month.
Harvesting of the berry that grows wild, happens between 5 and 9 in the morning.
Why? Cause at that point, the connection between the berry and the branch is at its most fragile.
Tapping on the branches with a stick or shaking the shrub, will set a berry shower (as opposed to berry bucket bath) into motion.
Then there's local entrepreneurs. People working in other industries the rest of the year but as entrepreneurs, get asked by the berry collectors when they'll be wanting (read buying) berries. But these local entrepreneurs first need a buyer. And that's where the problem starts.
There's currently one buyer and people are totally dependent on him. One year he bought the entire crop (but there's potential for more), last year he bought nothing (no berry-trade in 2008), this year he's buying only about 1/5th.
Another problem is the awareness of the berry. It simply isn't known or isn't being promoted in the right way.
It's already proving to be a challenge finding it in local shops.
And if they do happen to find some juice under the counter or in the back office, it comes in the most repulsive recycled plastic bottle that already survived 3 earthquakes and 2 civil wars and just started its fruitful 7th life. (btw: the picture is a civilized version in a program director's office)

The puss inside the bottle then comes into 2 parts: the top part being the pulp and the bottom part being water. Could be slightly more appealing.
Whereas other local produce is being sold and marketed (apricot jam, himalayan salt, ...), the juice seems to be a produce outcast.

But not to worry: Team IBM to the rescue!
Now that we understand the culture better, have -somewhat of- a handle on the ecosystem of stakeholders involved and the needs of the locals, we're working on a -insert drumroll- plan.
Not just any plan. A master plan (we don't get out of bed-or get off our plank- for anything less).
This afternoon, we have a workshop with 10 VIPs all having a say in the berry-process. They got invited through a hard copy invite, hand delivered by TISS to their offices at the beginning of this week (that's the way it works here for VIPs) and we'll be hosting them in our hotel.

The heat is on.
IBM needs to show its true colours. Today they'll be orange.
Time to start a new religion: Berry-ism.
All Hail to the berry!