Stevia cultivation in Punjab: Some crucial narratives

Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) is a perennial herbaceous crop belonging to the Asteraceae family. It is a potent medicinal crop cultivated worldwide due to its high economic value as a natural sweetener as well as an alternative to sugarcane. The present study was undertaken to highlight present status and the deterrents perceived by the farmers in the adoption of stevia cultivation in Punjab. The formulations of the study were based on primary data collected from 30 stevia growers for the crop year 2021-22. A purposive sampling technique was used for selection of the study area. Based on the spread of stevia over the state, the respondents of study were from 16 blocks of six stevia niche’ districts; Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala and Pathankot. The Snow Ball Sampling technique was resorted to in the selection of stevia growers. The analysis showed that the input problems were the most crucial followed by environmental, technological, marketing, and biotic problems. Very high labor requirement leading to high labor cost and exorbitant price of planting material, non-remunerative price of stevia produce were identified as the major deterrents in the way of stevia area expansion, requiring immediate policy attention to encash the potential of stevia. The policy initiatives to increase the viability of the crop can go a long way in promoting stevia cultivation.