Stevia cultivation in India: Since our involvement with stevia, we have seen that many changes are taking place in Stevia Industry in India.
We have seen all three phases in the stevia cultivation in India like introductory stage, expansion stage, shrinking stage, stagnant stage and again growth stage. Today it is growing slowly and slowly.
Introductory stage:-
The people started o involve in the stevia crop blindly. No one was aware that what were they doing? They blindly cultivated the stevia crop. The buyers of herbs also show the interest in the crop. They blindly purchased and stocked the crops. Everyone was positive toward the stevia crop. Govt introduced stevia as a medicinal crop.
Expansion stage: -
The people who were involved in the stevia crop started to find the scope of the stevia , some tried it in the export market, some introduced it in the domestic market. Some introduced it in the international market. Meanwhile the Chinese market of stevia started to boom. They also started to cultivate the stevia. The Indian stevia started make a presence in the international market . The international buyer turned toward India for the supply of the stevia.
Shrinking Stage: -
There was a gap between the supply and the demand. The processing industry didn’t develop in India. Because processing technology was not present in the India at that time. Slowly and slowly the buyer started to make the distance from the stevia crop, this task also leaded to the farmers to make distance from the stevia.
The growers invested money but when they didn’t find any buyer they started demoralised. A lot of area of stevia crop was uprooted the stevia crop. Because the middlemen was buyer for the producer and he was producer for the buyer. The buyer was not aware of the producer of the stevia crop, The producer was not aware about the buyer. The stevia industry was on the road.
Stagnant stage: -
People started to rebuild the stevia industry. The product ranges were launched on the stevia products. Small player introduced stevia products at their level at small scale in small area. But the products were based on the chinies imported stevia products.. Some tried to stevia as packed leaves. Some introduced the stevia tablets. Some introduced it as stevia liquid. Some as a dietary food supplement. There was no any guideline on the stevia crop and stevia product from govt. The last blast from govt shide toward the stevia shrinking was ban on stevia sweetener products in India. The order was issued by the FSSAI without putting any genuine reason. Everyone was demoralised, the grower, the buyer and the seller. The industry was stopped where it was.....
Growth stage:-
One thing was clear that the ban was not on the stevia cultivation. Meanwhile the international buyers were continue in showing interest in Indian stevia. The European Union recommended stevai as sweetener. The USA also recommended the stevia as a sweetener. The European demand increases and it is still increasing. The export of the stevia boosted. The Indian stevia made a clear position in the international market..
Some stevioside extraction technologies were also introduced. We also came in contact with some technology provider for the stevioside extraction. Two three stevia plants of stevioside extraction has been established in the India. Whatever information I am having One in located in west Bengal, second one is in Himachal, third is Maharashtra.
The Govt institute has started to work on stevia. Some big brand like Pepsi, Coke, Cargill has alos associated with Stevia. Today the stevia industry is growing. A small sroup people also grouped in India for the stevia industry development in India. Export demand is also increasing. The domestic consumption has also increased.
People have become aware of the stevia, stevia products, stevia crop.
