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Wednesday, July 28, 2004
St Kitts and Nevis will be the site for a multi million project to cultivate a sugar substitute and construct a processing plant.
Last Wednesday St Kitts and Nevis signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Natural Sweet Company for a $90 million project to grow the herb Stevia, and to construct a plant for the production of the sweetener, which is said to be 350 times sweeter than sugar.
Agriculture minister Cedric Liburd noted the project is an opportunity to diversify the economy and reduce reliance on sugar. The local sugar industry is in financial crisis and steps have been taken to find a solution. Minister Liburd recognized the potential of this project to close the sugar industry. But he noted the greater potential with the increased use of sugar substitutes by soft drink manufacturers.
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