Paraguay is one of the main countries where ''
Stevia rebaudiana
''Stevia rebaudiana'' is a plant species in the genus '' Stevia'' of the family Asteraceae. It is commonly known as candyleaf, sweetleaf or sugarleaf.
It is a small seasonal plant which grows to a height of . It has elongated leaves that grow a ...
'' or ''kaʼa heʼẽ'' (
Guarani) is cultivated. In 2014 an area of 2,300 hectares was devoted to this crop, producing 3,680 tonnes, according to estimates of the National Directorate of Censuses and Statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.
[Acosta, N. (2015)]
"''Las potencialidades de la stevia nacional en el mercado nacional''" ("The potential of Stevia in the national market")
(Spanish). Centro de Análisis y Difusión de la Economía Paraguaya. Accessed 11 August 2015. The Paraguayan departments that produce the greatest yield (kilograms per hectare) are
San Pedro,
Caaguazú,
Itapúa and
Alto Paraná.
Exports
Exports of Stevia extracts (especially
sweetener
{{Wiktionary, sweetener
A sweetener is a substance added to food or drink to impart the flavor of sweetness, either because it contains a type of sugar, or because it contains a sweet-tasting sugar substitute. Many artificial sweeteners have been ...
s) and of the leaves during the period 2007–2014 reached a cumulative total of USD 7,600,000.
The main export destinations of Stevia from Paraguay in 2014 were the European Union (47%), China (37%), the wider
Mercosur
The Southern Common Market, commonly known by Spanish abbreviation Mercosur, and Portuguese Mercosul, is a South American trade bloc established by the Treaty of Asunción in 1991 and Protocol of Ouro Preto in 1994. Its full members are Argentina ...
area (11%), United States (1%), and Rest of the World (4%).
Companies and employment in the sector
In 2010 there were roughly 40 companies in the country devoted to this product, employing in total some 20,000 people in production, industrial processing and export.
[2010, quoted in Acosta, 2015, p. 5] Among the leading companies in this sector in the period 2007–2014 were Steviapar S.A., Purecircle South America S.A., NL Stevia S.A., Nativia Guaraní S.A., during the period of 2007-2014.
See also
*
Economy of Paraguay
The economy of Paraguay is a market economy that is highly dependent on agriculture products. In recent years, Paraguay's economy has grown as a result of increased agricultural exports, especially soybeans. Paraguay has the economic advantages ...
Notes
{{notelist
References
Stevia (genus)
Crops originating from Paraguay