For NEUROPUBLIC, the agri-food sector is an indisputable pillar of the national economy and its strengthening is a key element for the development of the country. In this context, the company, uninterruptedly and substantially supports the efforts of farmers to meet the challenges of the times. Thus, for almost five years, it has been a constant ally in the efforts of the Stevia Hellas Agricultural Cooperative for more, better quality and more competitive product, but also for a more sustainable cultivation model based on regenerative practices.

In recent years, the cultivation of stevia has been on the rise in Greece and Stevia Hellas has played a leading role in its development, especially after the establishment of the Stevia Thrace Agricultural Cooperative. At the moment, farmers from Lamia to Evros are producing high quality stevia, while many tobacco growers who are concerned about the future and find in stevia the ideal product to replace tobacco are particularly interested in switching to this crop. After all, stevia uses the same cultivation practices and machinery. At the same time, it has a better yield per hectare and its demand is constantly increasing in the food and drink industry. Finally, stevia cultivation requires significantly fewer natural resources, less water, reduced use of fertilisers and no chemicals and, consequently, its environmental footprint is smaller than that of tobacco.

Smart farming and, in particular, the gaiasense smart farming system developed by NEUROPUBLIC plays a central role in the initiatives to support stevia producers. Gaiasense uses modern technologies and scientific knowledge in such a way as to assist the farmer in making better production decisions. At the same time, it helps reduce costs and unnecessary loss of resources, reduces the impact of agriculture on the environment and climate, improves productivity and competitiveness, and increases the quality of stevia products.

This year again finds gaiasense next to the Stevia Hellas Cooperative, a helper in its work and its members, but, above all, in future actions for the expansion of the network and the cultivation of stevia in the country. “Technology and especially smart farming is a “tool” for better products and reduced input costs”, says Christos Stamatis, CEO of Stevia Hellas, about the renewal of the already successful cooperation between the two parties.

The numbers… spoke

It is worth noting that the figures from the field measurements are very encouraging. Depending on the type of crop and the area, the application of the gaiasense system can improve irrigation by reducing unnecessary watering by 14-47%, and fertilization by between 15-28%. In particular, in stevia there is a 22% reduction in unnecessary watering and a 17% reduction in fertilisation.

Besides, many Greek and foreign farmers who have already applied gaiasense to their production have seen its benefits and are satisfied. “We have been using gaiasense since 2019 and it gives us a lot of information about the crop and the environment. It has really helped our agronomists to optimise their recommendations to farmers”, explains Domingos Godinho, representative of the CONFAGRI (Confederation of Agricultural Cooperatives of Portugal), while Evangelos Asmanidis, a cotton producer in Evros, claims that “you are informed about some things that you cannot see with the naked eye and it helps you a lot in your work”.