Campus News
By Priscilla Mafa
Midlands State University is set to host a half-day seminar focusing on the potential of Juncao technology to support sustainable and climate-smart agriculture in Zimbabwe.
The seminar, titled “Juncao Technology in Zimbabwean Agriculture: Fostering Awareness, Advocacy and Collaboration – Midlands Province,” is scheduled for Thursday, 24 September 2026, at the Great Hall at the university’s Main Campus in Gweru.
The event is being convened by the Faculty of Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources Management and is expected to bring together agricultural experts, researchers, farmers and other stakeholders to discuss the application of Juncao technology in the local agricultural sector.
Discussions will centre on the use of Juncao technology for mushroom production, livestock feed and climate-smart agricultural practices, with an emphasis on approaches that can potentially reduce production costs while strengthening farmers’ resilience to climate-related challenges.
Juncao is a grass-based agricultural technology developed in China that has been promoted internationally for applications including livestock feed, mushroom cultivation, soil and water conservation and other agricultural uses. Evidence of Zimbabwe’s engagement with the technology predates the upcoming MSU seminar. A 2025 report on a Fiji study visit, for example, identified a Zimbabwean farmer working with Juncao technology on mushroom production, as well as Zimbabwean agricultural and research officials involved in the technology.
For Midlands Province, where farmers face increasingly variable rainfall, land degradation and rising agricultural input costs, technologies that improve the efficiency of agricultural production are becoming an important area of research and discussion.
The seminar is also expected to provide a platform for participants to share experiences, raise awareness about Juncao applications and examine opportunities for collaboration between researchers, government institutions, farmers and other agricultural stakeholders.
The organisers say the engagement is intended to contribute to the promotion of sustainable, resilient and climate-smart agricultural practices in the province.
The seminar comes as Zimbabwe prepares for a potentially difficult 2026/27 agricultural season. Government has been promoting climate-smart production and other measures in response to forecasts of below-normal rainfall, making discussions around alternative and resilient agricultural technologies particularly relevant.
The seminar, titled “Juncao Technology in Zimbabwean Agriculture: Fostering Awareness, Advocacy and Collaboration – Midlands Province,” is scheduled for Thursday, 24 September 2026, at the Great Hall at the university’s Main Campus in Gweru.
The event is being convened by the Faculty of Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources Management and is expected to bring together agricultural experts, researchers, farmers and other stakeholders to discuss the application of Juncao technology in the local agricultural sector.
Discussions will centre on the use of Juncao technology for mushroom production, livestock feed and climate-smart agricultural practices, with an emphasis on approaches that can potentially reduce production costs while strengthening farmers’ resilience to climate-related challenges.
Juncao is a grass-based agricultural technology developed in China that has been promoted internationally for applications including livestock feed, mushroom cultivation, soil and water conservation and other agricultural uses. Evidence of Zimbabwe’s engagement with the technology predates the upcoming MSU seminar. A 2025 report on a Fiji study visit, for example, identified a Zimbabwean farmer working with Juncao technology on mushroom production, as well as Zimbabwean agricultural and research officials involved in the technology.
For Midlands Province, where farmers face increasingly variable rainfall, land degradation and rising agricultural input costs, technologies that improve the efficiency of agricultural production are becoming an important area of research and discussion.
The seminar is also expected to provide a platform for participants to share experiences, raise awareness about Juncao applications and examine opportunities for collaboration between researchers, government institutions, farmers and other agricultural stakeholders.
The organisers say the engagement is intended to contribute to the promotion of sustainable, resilient and climate-smart agricultural practices in the province.
The seminar comes as Zimbabwe prepares for a potentially difficult 2026/27 agricultural season. Government has been promoting climate-smart production and other measures in response to forecasts of below-normal rainfall, making discussions around alternative and resilient agricultural technologies particularly relevant.
Published
September 17, 2026 at 8:00 AM
