Stevia First Corporation Presents at 25th Annual ROTH Conference, Mar-20-2013 12:30 PM. Venue: The Ritz-Carlton, 1 Ritz Carlton Drive, Dana Point, Laguna Niguel, California, United States. Speakers: Robert T. Brooke, Chief Executive Officer, President, Principal Financial Officer, Principal Accounting Officer, Treasurer, Secretary and Director.

Stevia First Corporation announced the start of a series of feasibility studies aimed at the development of new steviol glycoside extraction methods, and intended to offer significantly improved economies of scale, in the future development of domestic stevia production. Much of the stevia industry was developed as long as 20 or 30 years ago in China and Japan, catering to the Japanese introduction of stevioside as a sweetener in the 1970s. Stevia First is pursuing novel methods of extraction, conducting work internally and obtaining validation through industry collaborators for the development of modernized stevia leaf extraction methods. In several cases, these technologies have been demonstrated in peer-reviewed literature to offer superior extraction efficiencies over currently-used techniques that rely heavily on organic solvents. Stevia First aims to leapfrog past the current overseas technologies and to utilize modern tools for natural products extraction. These efforts could enable the company to perform stevia leaf extraction more reliably, economically, and in compliance with the stringent food safety and environmental standards of the U.S. and California.

Stevia First Corporation provided an interim report detailing key aspects of its currently ongoing field trials. The preliminary analysis from field trials shows a very positive 100% plant survival rate as of January 1, 2013. The data show an approximate 20% increase in growth due to mulch versus conventional bedding. However, the significance to growers partnering with company will be fully realized in the spring when total winter survival is assessed and late summer when annual yield (growth) is assessed, Plastic mulches are used effectively in a variety of agricultural activities. The field trials are being conducted in the region surrounding the company's operations in Yuba City, California. Longer term field studies in partnership with growers are scheduled for 2013 and detailed results will be generated describing the fall 2013 harvest. The data will provide definitive information about novel stevia cultivation practices, with practical relevance for stevia growers that can be extrapolated to other regions of the Central Valley and elsewhere across the country. Overall, the report demonstrates regional suitability for growing stevia as a perennial crop as opposed to an annual crop that would require replanting yearly. This data offers important economic implications as much of the domestic stevia production is currently grown in greenhouses and is subsequently transplanted at significant cost. Local growers would benefit greatly by the application of practices offering crop rotation occurrences limited to every 3 or 5 years and early research indicates that under certain conditions productive lifecycles could extend to even longer periods.