PureCircle partners with former U.S. tobacco farmers
PureCircle, producer of stevia sweeteners for the global beverage and food industries, has announced a new stevia farming program in the United States.
PureCircle, producer of stevia sweeteners for the global beverage and food industries, has announced a new stevia farming program in the United States. The program will provide economic opportunities for tobacco farmers looking for a sustainable crop that is in high demand by the global food and beverage industry.
This past fall, PureCircle partnered with North Carolina farmers to successfully plant and harvest StarLeaf stevia in small trial plots. PureCircle and its partner-farmers will significantly increase commercial production of StarLeaf stevia for the next planting season. The project in North Carolina is part of PureCircle’s global program to scale up StarLeafproduction, 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.
“We are proud to introduce stevia as a crop in North Carolina. 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,” said James Foxton, vice president of agricultural operations at PureCircle.