Juncao technology draws big attention at Rwanda’s agricultural show

Mushroom soup is common on the menu of many restaurants in Rwanda. And so it is perhaps of little surprise that as the Rwanda agriculture show wound up this week at Mulindi showground in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital, Chinese-invented Juncao technology for mushroom growing drew a lot of attention from visitors.

The exhibition, an annual event that ran until July 29 under the theme “Transforming Agriculture into a Resilient and Competitive Sector through Technology, Innovation and Investment,” was organized by the Rwandan Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, with an attendance of about 400 exhibitors from Rwanda and beyond.

Two mushroom varieties, including the edible and medicinal ones, were exhibited by the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) using Juncao technology for production.

Mediatrice Hatungimana, who is in charge of Juncao technology at the RAB, led a team of staff to the exhibition. Hatungimana said the exhibition offered an excellent platform to display the technology to wider targeted members of the public and they received hundreds of visitors at their booth daily.

Etienne Shema, one of the visitors, insisted that this kind of technology offers tremendous job prospects for Rwandans. “I was curious to know how Chinese technology is used in growing mushrooms. I was used to traditional mushrooms which grow by themselves,” said Shema, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Rwanda this year.

He said he is still searching for a job in his field of study, but he could pursue farming if he gets capital in order to create his own job. “If I get the means I can engage in mushroom growing, with technology such products can be very successful with a ready market in Rwanda and beyond,” he said.
While people showed more interest in edible mushrooms, they were also excited to know more about the medicinal type.

“I love mushrooms on my menu, they are good for vegetables but what is important is that such technology can help people create jobs in mushroom production and overcome unemployment. I learned for the first time that there are also mushrooms for medicinal purposes,” Shema added.

Hatungimana with the RAB also emphasized the importance of mushroom growing in fighting malnutrition in the country, job creation, ensuring food security as well as raising people’s income.

“Many people are visiting our stand and asking many questions about the different varieties for which we offered explanations. They showed interest in mushroom growing using Juncao technology. We certainly hope we can interest as many Rwandans as possible in mushroom growing for food and ultimately household income,” she said.

Juncao technology has gained popularity in Rwanda over the past years. The technology involves mixing various low-cost materials such as Juncao powder, lime powder, rice or cotton husks and water and is applicable in a small space, offering a good opportunity for many households wishing to grow mushrooms.

Juncao, which literally means “mushroom” and “grass,” can be used, as its name suggests, to grow edible mushrooms, as livestock feed or as a green barrier to stop desertification. Growing mushrooms with the technology can help increase income through low-cost mushroom cultivation and can provide a new source of cattle feeds, according to officials.

The technology was invented by Professor Lin Zhanxi from China’s Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University in the 1980s, and Rwanda is among more than 100 countries where it has been shared.

Data from the RAB showed that courses of training have been conducted in Juncao technology benefiting thousands of Rwandans across the country, with beneficiaries from universities, cooperatives and other organizations.

Since 2006, the Chinese university’s experts have been partnering with the Rwandan government on Juncao technology, teaching and promoting Juncao and other agricultural technologies in the central African nation.

“A Chinese expert was also around to explain more to visitors at the show. The number of people growing mushrooms using Juncao in Rwanda keeps dramatically increasing each passing year,” said Hatungimana. Enditem