Harvesting technology sows seeds of growth

Juncao is a hybrid grass and an important multifunctional agricultural resource developed for mushroom farming in China. Invented by Lin Zhanxi from the Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University in the 1980s, it has benefited more than 100 countries and regions, including Rwanda.

Using this method, mushrooms can be grown quickly in agricultural waste instead of traditional sawdust, helping preserve forests.

Since 2006, experts from the university have been working with the Rwandan government on the use of Juncao, promoting this and other agricultural technologies at the China-Rwanda Agriculture Technology Demonstration Center in southern Rwanda. So far, more than 35,000 Rwandan farmers have been trained at the center.

Although it's still a small and slow-growing industry, some entrepreneurs in Rwanda and neighboring countries see the potential. Chinese experts in Rwanda say that mushrooms turn a profit quicker than traditional crops grown in the country.

Zheng Ruijin, a rice expert who has been working at the center since 2021, trains farmers in rice transplanting, field management and the cultivation of quality rice seedlings. Due in part to his efforts, some localities achieve a higher grain yields than in previous years.

Zheng has been engaged in overseas agricultural technology aid since 2007.

"I have been to many countries, but agriculture in Rwanda is being done at a very high level. In terms of planting rice varieties and selection, we have done a good job. I went to one of the country's national rice demonstration centers some time ago and I was impressed," Zheng says.

He adds that his impression of farmers in Rwanda is that they are very hardworking. "If farmers learn more about our technology, they will definitely increase the output of crops," Zheng says.

Chen Xiaobin, a Juncao expert, has committed himself to promoting the use of the Juncao method over the past six years to farmers, many of whom have seen their living conditions significantly improved.

Located in the Rubona sector, Huye district, Southern Province of Rwanda, the China-Rwanda Agriculture Technology Demonstration Center helps Rwandan farmers scale up agricultural production and has improved lives and incomes. It is among the 24 agricultural technology demonstration centers established by Chinese experts across Africa by the end of last year, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Covering an area of 22 hectares, the center comprises facilities for the Juncao method of mushroom growing, rice farming, water conservation and sericulture-related technologies.

Rwanda is just part of the bigger picture of Chinese agricultural cooperation with Africa over the years. From Kenya to Uganda, the Chinese government has helped upgrade farming technology across Africa.

In terms of personnel exchanges, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has sent more than 400 agricultural experts, like Zheng and Chen, to Africa, and trained more than 10,000 managerial and technical personnel for African countries.