SUVA, Fiji — In a coastal region of Fiji once plagued by soil salinity, a stretch of land previously considered unsuitable for agriculture has been transformed through the introduction of a Chinese-developed plant cultivation method. The technology centers on Juncao grass, a species originally created in China for use as a growing medium in edible mushroom farming. Since its introduction to Fiji more than ten years ago, the approach has been credited with both restoring degraded land and generating new economic opportunities for local communities.
The initiative targets an ongoing challenge for Fiji’s agriculture: high soil salinity in some coastal areas, which has hindered crop development. According to Huang Zhixin, an expert with the China-Fiji Juncao Technology Demonstration Center, planting Juncao for four months reduced the salt concentration in the soil from 1.67 percent to 0.4 percent, enabling previously barren ground to support vegetation once again.
The benefits extend beyond land restoration. The grass serves as a substrate for cultivating various types of edible mushrooms adapted to Fiji’s tropical climate. Chinese technicians collaborated with local partners to develop cultivation techniques suited for high temperatures, including shaded growing areas and temperature-controlled storage methods. This has allowed for the domestic production of over ten mushroom varieties, including oyster, king oyster, and wood ear mushrooms.
The impact is visible in urban markets such as Nadi, where locally cultivated mushrooms have significantly reduced reliance on imports. Before the adoption of Juncao methods, mushrooms were mostly imported and sold at prices exceeding 30 Fijian dollars ($13) per kilogram, limiting accessibility for many consumers. With local production increasing, prices have fallen by nearly half, making mushrooms a more affordable protein source.
For individual farmers, mushroom cultivation has become an important supplementary income stream. In Muanaira Village near Suva, 76-year-old Alusio Tawakevoudua manages mushroom-growing bags within a small space adjacent to his home. This operation yields about 1,200 kilograms of mushrooms annually, generating approximately 18,000 Fijian dollars in extra income and enabling regular harvests every six to ten days.
Beyond mushrooms, Juncao grass itself is emerging as a sustainable solution for livestock feed, addressing the seasonal shortage of fresh forage that has traditionally led to increased costs and environmental strain from overgrazing on natural pastures. Zhong Siqin, another expert at the demonstration center, notes that Juncao can be harvested continuously for over 20 years, producing between 300 and 500 tons of fresh grass per hectare annually. Its crude protein content ranges from 8 to 16 percent, making it a nutritious cattle feed alternative that helps alleviate pressure on indigenous grasslands.
Since 2014, the China-Fiji Juncao Technology Demonstration Center has implemented three phases of assistance programs, conducting 67 training sessions and educating more than 2,900 local technicians. The initiative has fostered Juncao cultivation on over 2,500 hectares and supported more than 3,500 households in achieving stable income growth.
As plans for a new phase of cooperation take shape, Fiji’s Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways researcher Sufuwana Safara Hussein emphasizes the technology’s transformational effect on both the land and people. “China’s Juncao has changed our land, and it has changed ordinary people’s lives,” she said. “We hope to continue working with China so that more villages and more families can benefit from this technology.”