HARARE, April 14 (Xinhua) -- The first China-aid Juncao technology training project was launched in Zimbabwe's Mashonaland West Province on Monday to help boost the southern African country's agricultural development.

More than 50 participants, including farmers, students, and academics, attended the three-day training program, which featured both theoretical sessions and practical demonstrations led by Chinese technical experts.

Juncao is a hybrid grass and a multifunctional agricultural resource developed in China and promoted globally.

Rao Huohuo, leader of the China-aid Juncao technology team in Zimbabwe, said the three-year project will enable local farmers to fully grasp the Juncao technology in many aspects, including Juncao planting and application in growing mushrooms and feeding livestock.

Mandiudza Masvongo, a small-scale farmer and participant in the inaugural training program, told Xinhua that she plans to cultivate Juncao for use as livestock feed.

"Our grazing land is becoming limited due to increased urbanization and climate change. So it's advantageous to grow Juncao because on my farmland, I can then utilize only one hectare to cultivate the grass so that my livestock can have sufficient feedstock," she said.

Masvongo also hoped to utilize the Juncao technology for the sustainable cultivation of edible mushrooms as a means to boost her household income.

Another participant, Yeukai Chimbi, a student at the University of Zimbabwe, said she learned that the Juncao technology can be utilized to mitigate some challenges facing farmers in the country.

"For example, the Juncao grass helps in the reclamation of degraded land, so maybe here in Zimbabwe, we can grow it in areas where there is desertification," she said.■