Stevia, a natural sweetener, is a potential export winner

MANILA, Philippines - “Stevia has great potential in the foreign market,” according to Dr. Maria Elena Quimio of the Bicolandia Greenfields Development Organization (BIGFIS) during a project monitoring visit conducted by the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) in the Bicol Region.

Stevia is a natural sweetener made from the stevia plant (Stevia rebaudiana). Native to tropical and subtropical regions in North and South America particularly in Paraguay, it is mainly grown for its leaves as a sweetener and sugar substitute. In the Philippines, some farmers drawn to the herbal medicine trend have started planting stevia in small areas.

To monitor the progress and developments on the on-going project, “Commercialization of Stevia rebaudiana, a natural sweetener (Phase 1)”, technical staff from the Bureau of Agricultural Research-Technology Commercialization Division (BAR-TCD) visited project sites in Naga, Camarines Sur and Tabaco, Albay.

“The sweetener industry is predicted to penetrate and take a big chunk of the market for sugar in the future,” Dr. Quimio noted.

Funded by BAR, the project plans to establish a nursery that will provide planting materials for farmer-cooperators and educate farmers on good agricultural practices. The project is being implemented by BIGFIS, a non-government organization based in Naga City, Camarines Sur.

Based on the report submitted to BAR, stevia is a plant that originated from Paraguay and is now widely cultivated and used in other countries. Here in the Philippines, it is already grown in nurseries located in Antipolo, Cavite, and Quezon. Now utilized as an ingredient in coffee, tea blends, and some health products, stevia is seen as a natural alternative to artificial sweeteners. Leaf parts of stevia are about ten times sweeter than table sugar. Only tiny amounts of it are needed for food sweetening and drink preparations.

Stevia is an herb that comes from the Chrysanthemum family which grows wild as a small shrub. The leaves contain glycosides which account for its incredible sweetness, making it unique among the nearly 300 species of Stevia plants.

The stevia planted in the DA-RFU V- Albay Experiment Station are locally-adapted varieties while those planted in its main office in Pili, Camarines Sur are from Paraguay. Compared to the locally-adapted varieties, leaves of stevia from Paraguay are elongated and the plants themselves are longer.

According to Dr. Quimio, the Philippines previously did not entertain any serious thoughts on developing this industry. “It is therefore timely and fortuitous that BAR has taken the initial steps towards the development of stevia,” she added.

The BAR monitoring team composed of Evelyn H. Juanillo and Ethcel Princess H. Patulot met with other project proponents in the region. They also looked into other projects on herbs and spices, abaca and native swine production.