PNG Launches China-Supported Upland Rice and Juncao Hub
Papua New Guinea has launched a China-assisted agricultural center in Eastern Highlands Province to support food production and improve farmer training.
The Juncao and Upland Rice Technology Base, set up at Waterise near Goroka, was inaugurated Monday and will focus on mushroom cultivation, rice planting, and sustainable farming systems. The facility will also act as a demonstration hub for local growers.
Professor Lin Zhanxi, the Chinese scientist who developed Juncao technology, officiated at the ceremony. He said the initiative was an important achievement in PNG–China relations, backed by President Xi Jinping and PNG authorities.
“The Juncao and Upland Rice initiative in PNG is a pioneering endeavor that has grown under the sustained guidance and support of President Xi Jinping and the PNG government,” Lin stated.
He highlighted that Juncao was first introduced to Eastern Highlands in 1997 and strengthened following Xi’s 2018 visit to Papua New Guinea. The new hub, he explained, would integrate plants, animals, and mushrooms in a circular farming system to maximize resources.
Eastern Highlands Governor Simon Sia expressed gratitude to both countries, saying the project would help smallholder farmers secure better income opportunities and strengthen community well-being.
Juncao, a method that grows mushrooms using grass instead of timber, has been promoted internationally as an affordable and eco-friendly agricultural innovation.
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