RAWALPINDI: Arid Agriculture University on Wednesday organised `Stevia Kissan Mela` with an aim to promote stevia (sugar plant) cultivation.

The varsity`s department of horticulture took the initiative in collaboration with Ayub Agricultural Research Institute (AARI), Faisalabad and Punjab Agriculture Department.

Speaking on the occasion, the university vice-chancellor, Prof. Dr. Rai Niaz Ahmad said that stevia was a complete substitute for sugar and especially important for diabetic patients.He said farmers could earn a net profit of Rs470,000 per acre annually from stevia cultivation at the commercial level.

He assured the participants that the university would promote stevia cultivation, processing, research, marketing extraction & its use at a large scale.

On this occasion, Hafiz M. Akram, who is stevia project director, said they had successfully cultivated the plant on trial basis in 12 districts of Punjab.

He said experimental plantation of stevia plant has been and they were now planning for its commercial production.

He said stevia was a complete and natural substitute of sugar. It is 15 times sweeter than sugar and its extract 300 times sweeter thansugar. Stevia leaves also contain 30 % protein and 53% carbohydrates.

Due to medicinal importance Stevia leaves have enough calcium for growing children and women.

Prof. Dr. Nadeem Akhtar Abbasi, the horticulture department chairman, informed the gathering that stevia cultivation was becoming the need of the hour to meet sugar demand of a growing population.

Prof. Dr. Safdar Ali, dean faculty of agriculture and Dr. Mohammad Bashir Ahmad, chairman agronomy department KPK Agriculture University also addressed on the occasion and said that stevia cultivation was becoming need of the day to fulfill sugar requirements of the increasing population.