Stevia is a cash crop with low risk and assured tax free returns in a period as short as 6 months. Scientific cultivation and careful selection of planting material can yield very high returns for three years as compared to traditional crops.

Due to the increased awareness towards use of Herbal and traditionally accepted medicinal plants, a very good market domestic& international is coming up for the medicinal plants and Herbals.

Among the most lucrative Herbal plant is Stevia "Stevia rebandiana" or Stevia , a  native of paraguay, which provides a whopping Rs.11.05 lakh returns in a cycle of three years per acre.

It is a native to Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, & Paraguay where the native Gurney have used Caa-ehe(Stevia for over 1500 years to sweeten otherwise unpalatable medicinal drinks.

Members of  Composite family (Sunflower)Stevia is a sweet herb and is fast becoming major source of high potency bio- sweetener for the rapidly growing market for "natural" foods replacing chemical sweet ners like Aspartame, Saccharine and Splenda and even table sugar. Dry Stevia  leaf is up to 30 times sweeter than sugar.

The sweetness in Stevia is mainly attributed to two compounds viz. Stevioside 15 to 20% and rebaudiosideA(1-3%) which can be up to 250 times sweeter than sucrose.

Stevia side has a few advantages  over artificial sweeteners in that it is stable at high temperatures(100.C) and a ptt range of 3-9 and does not Darlene with cooking.

In the 70's & 80's Stevia was developed as a sweetener/Flavor  enhancer which has since been used widely for this purpose in Japan,China, Korea, Israel, Brazil and Paraguay.

In Japan about 51% of the  sweetener market is Stevia based.

Stevia is useful in regulating blood sugar, preventing hypertension, treatment of slain disorders and  prevention of tooth decay. Studies shows that it is natural antibacterial and antiviral agent as well. On top of that, calorie and carbohydrate free and hence a great sweetener choice for diabetics, and those watching their weight .

Stevia, therefor, opens up new avenues for crop diversification and a viable alternative to sugarcane.There is a potential to use Stevia in soft drinks, confectionery and bakery etc. Instead of sweeteners with known adverse side effects in the long run. Stevia prevents tooth decay with its microbial property . Majority of the supplementary food products for diabetic patients emphasize on the fibre & protein content the addition of the Stevia leaves, dried or in powder form, in such products would not only aid in increasing the natural sweetness but would also help in rejuvenating the pancreatic gland.

Apart from this, Stevia is nutrient rich, containing substantial amount of Protein, Magnesium, Miocene, riboflavin, Zinc, Chromium, Selenium, Calcium & Phosphorus, Besides Stevia can also be used as a house hold sweetener in preparation of most Indian sweetmeats.