Stevia leaves’ extract 300 times sweeter than sugar

LAHORE
Promotion of cultivation of useful medicinal and economic Stevia plant is a big source of national exchequer as Stevia plant`s leaves are 15 times while its extracts are 300 times sweeter than sugar.
This was stated by Stevia Project Director Hafiz M Akram, a scientist working at Ayub Agriculture Research Institute (AARI) while addressing the Kissan Mela on Thursday. Large numbers of students, civil society, media-persons and officers/officials of the Agriculture Department participated in the Kissan Mela.
Hafiz Akram told the participants that Stevia was a complete substitute to sugar and had huge medicinal importance. Now stevia tablets are being made from stevia leaves for use as sugar substitute in tea and other products like bakeries’. It has more 53 percent carbohydrates and more than 13 percent proteins which is useful for human bones, especially for women and children. It has been successfully cultivated in all Punjab and currently more than 200 farmers are growing Stevia on their farms.
Farmer can earn as much as Rs. 800,000 per acre from stevia cultivation. Modern production technology for stevia has been introduced to sow the stevia successfully through seed and farmers are taking interest in its cultivation.