Pir Mehr Ali Shah, Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi (PMAS-AAUR) Department of Horticulture organized “Stevia Kissan Mela” in collaboration with Ayub Agricultural Research Institute (AARI), Faisalabad & Punjab Agriculture Department, here on Wednesday with an aim to promote stevia(sugar plant) cultivation.

On the occasion, PMAS-AAUR, Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Rai Niaz Ahmad was the chief guest while Prof. Dr. Safdar Ali, Dean Faculty of Agriculture PMAS-AAUR, Plant Physiologist AARI & Stevia Project Director Hafiz Muhammad Akram, Chairman Agronomy Department KPK Agriculture University Dr. Muhammad Bashir Ahmad, & Prof. Dr. Nadeem Akhtar Abbasi, Chairman Department of Horticulture PMAS-AAUR, faculty members and large number of students were also present.

While addressing, PMAS-AAUR Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Rai Niaz Ahmad said that stevia is complete substitute for sugar and especially important for diabetic patients. He further said that farmers should cultivate stevia and they can earn a net profit of Rs470,000 per acre annually from stevia cultivation at the commercial level. He assured the participants that PMAS-AAUR will support to promote stevia cultivation, processing, research, marketing extraction & its use at large scale.

On this occasion,  Stevia Project Director Hafiz M. Akram told that stevia cultivation trials are successful in 12 districts of Punjab and technology has been developed to cultivate stevia through seeds which is very much convenient for stevia cultivation. He also told that experimental phase of stevia plant has been successfully completed at 12 different districts of Punjab and now planning for its commercialization is underway. He further told that stevia is a complete and natural substitute of sugar. It is 15 times sweeter than sugar and its extract 300 times sweeter than sugar. Stevia leaves also contain 30 % protein & 53% carbohydrates. Due to medicinal importance Stevia leaves have enough calcium for growing children and women.

Earlier, Prof. Dr. Nadeem Akhtar Abbasi, Chairman, Department of Horticulture PMAS-AAUR, in his welcome address elaborated the aims and objective of organizing this Stevia Kissan Mela. He informed the gathering that stevia cultivation is becoming the need of the hour to meet sugar demand from a growing population. Prof. Dr. Safdar Ali, Dean Faculty of Agriculture PMAS-AAUR and Dr. Muhammad Bashir Ahmad, Chairman Agronomy Department KPK Agriculture University also addressed on the occasion and said that stevia cultivation is becoming need of the day to fulfill sugar requirements of the increasing population.