Juncao tech boosts Zimbabwean agriculture, animal husbandry

Zimbabwean trainees take time out from training to grow Juncao grass.

Just the other day in the province of Matabeleland South — located in Zimbabwe in southern Africa — Albert stood contentedly on his farm, where giant stalks of Juncao grass, used to grow medicinal and edible mushrooms, swayed gently in the wind.

"Forage scarcity is always a problem here because of the dry weather," he mused. "My cattle, a herd of over 300, often didn't have enough to eat, but the introduction of Juncao solved this problem."

Zimbabwe's agriculture and animal husbandry were woefully underdeveloped, with the struggling nation often suffering from drought, feed shortages and outdated technology.

But in February last year, China launched an initiative to impart advanced Juncao grass cultivation techniques to the African country.

Drought-resistant and high-yielding, the hybrid Chinese grass was destined to provide a mighty boost to local agriculture and animal husbandry — increasing the incomes of residents and alleviating poverty.

Over the past year, the cultivation of Juncao grass has spread to nine provinces in Zimbabwe. The plants are being grown in 69 demonstration sites, with some now planted in the grounds of nine major Zimbabwean universities.

In fact, some 187 Juncao planters have cultivated their mushrooms to the level that they've been selected as benchmarks to promote this revolutionary agricultural technology.

Perfectly adaptive to Zimbabwe's eco-environment, Juncao now thrives locally. It can feed livestock and facilitate the growth of edible mushrooms.

As a result, the grass has spurred the development of an entire industry, benefiting the people. No wonder, then, that the locals have given it the  nickname of the "Magic Grass".

All in all, the introduction of Juncao has brought an all-round transformation to the land. In the pastures of Matabeleland South, animals have been lifted out of hunger. In the rural areas of Mashonaland West province, mushrooms have bolstered the incomes of farmers.

Kwaramba, a farm owner in Mashonaland East province, introduced  Juncao to his holding in March, trying it out on a 60-square-meter plot. The explosive growth of the grass quickly revealed to him the potential for the production of feed.

"In my comprehensive husbandry plan, Juncao will be used to feed 30 cattle, 100 goats and various poultry," Kwaramba said. "I will also grow edible mushrooms on Juncao grass, so as to build a grass-mushroom-husbandry circle."

He now plans to grow Juncao grass in the field of nearly one hectare in the next year — expanding his initial small-scale experiment to a large-scale business.

To date, some 19 training sessions related to Juncao techniques have been conducted in the country, bringing transformation to local farmers. Among the attendees was Magondo, who saw an average increase of $100 in his monthly income since entering the mushroom cultivation business with packaged seeds provided by China.

In order to offer targeted technical assistance and realize the very best potential of Juncao, Lin Dongmei from the China Engineering Research Center of Juncao Technology at Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University has led teams of experts to Zimbabwe multiple times, conducting surveys and providing extensive guidance.

The three-year assistance program in Zimbabwe aims to form a comprehensive development cycle that incorporates Juncao ciltivation, animal husbandry, mushroom growing and organic fertilizer production. 

Meanwhile, technical training will be enhanced, so that more competent Zimbabwean technicians can advance the sustainable development of the Juncao technology in the country.

The cultivation of Juncao in adverse environments, such as in the grounds of disused mines, is also expected to contribute to ecological restoration in Zimbabwe.

With a focus on how Juncao brings benefits to farmers, Dumisani Kutywayo, an official at the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, said that Juncao would play a greater role in the sustainable development of his country's agriculture and exponentially boost the incomes of his compatriots.

Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Zhou Ding has noted that China's Juncao technical assistance program has manifestly increased the incomes of local farmers — serving as a strong example of China-Zimbabwe practical cooperation.

Zhou stressed that China is ready to facilitate the promotion of Juncao techniques in Zimbabwe more quickly, so as to leverage the potential of the grass in growing mushrooms, producing feed and conserving water and soil.

In this way, Zimbabwe will see a tech-driven transformation of its agriculture and animal husbandry, an improved livelihood of its people, more effective poverty reduction and a much better response to climate change, he added.