Sweet offer to leaf growers

PureCircle says it is undertaking a new stevia farming program in the US that will provide economic opportunities for tobacco farmers looking for a sustainable crop that is in high demand by the global food and beverage industry.

In a press note issued through PRNewswire, the company, which describes itself as ‘the world’s leading producer and innovator of great-tasting stevia sweeteners for the global beverage and food industries’, said that, in the fall, it had partnered with North Carolina farmers to plant and harvest StarLeaf™ stevia in small trial plots. These trials had been successful and PureCircle and its partner-farmers would increase ‘significantly’ commercial production of StarLeaf™ stevia for the next planting season.

‘PureCircle’s StarLeaf™ is a variety of the stevia plant that contains rich amounts of the most sugar-like tasting, zero-calorie stevia sweeteners,’ the company said its press note. ‘The project in North Carolina is part of PureCircle’s global program to scale up StarLeaf™ production, while also providing domestically-grown stevia to the North American market.

‘The trials this fall confirmed stevia grows well in soil and climate conditions that were conducive to growing tobacco.  With the declining demand for tobacco, stevia cultivation offers farmers in North Carolina the opportunity to increase returns and productivity of their acreage.

‘Stevia is becoming the preferred zero-calorie sweetener among consumers and consumer product companies. The percentage of beverage and food products launched containing stevia increased by 13 percent in Q2 2017 compared to Q2 2016.  StarLeaf™ stevia will help companies accelerate launches of reduced- and zero-calorie products by making available sweeteners with the most sugar-like taste derived from a plant-based source.’

“We are proud to introduce stevia as a crop in North Carolina,” James Foxton, vice president of agricultural operations at PureCircle, was quoted as saying.

“This program will boost the economic prospects of agriculture in that state by providing a viable alternative to tobacco.

“We look forward to working together with farmers in expanding stevia production and establishing a North American stevia supply chain for PureCircle.”