Jamaica’s food security is expected to be bolstered, as a delegation from the country is to visit China soon to, among other things, conduct studies aimed at achieving some important goals locally in the future.
In his remarks at a press briefing this week, China’s Ambassador to Jamaica, Chen Daojiang, said the study will be done under the Juncao project.
Juncao technology uses herbaceous plants to cultivate mushrooms; enables circular production of grass, mushrooms and livestock; provides CO2 sink, and at the same time, helps desert areas.
“We are already seeing some pretty good outcomes coming from other countries around the world (relative to the Juncao project), and now the Jamaican side is also doing some studies in terms of its feasibility and the risk estimates,” Daojiang stated.
“Jamaica will soon send a group of six people to China to do some follow-up negotiations, as well as studies in terms of the concrete details,” the ambassador continued.
“I think in the near future we might be able to see a very good outcome by the Juncao project (in Jamaica),” he added.
The technology has been put to use in more than 100 countries.
According to the United Nations (UN), Juncao’s real power stems from how it is used in a broader social context, such as poverty eradication, clean energy and other target areas listed in the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Currently, there are 46 different species of Juncao grass which have been selected as main materials for the cultivation of 54 kinds of edible and medicinal mushrooms.
Meanwhile, Daojiang said Jamaica is a country with “huge potential in terms of agriculture and fisheries”, and commended the progress relative to the research in these areas between China and Jamaica.
“I have kept very close interactions with officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries,” he informed.
Daojiang said through the concerted efforts with the Caribbean Development Centre, the China-Jamaica Investment Promotion Conference was staged in October of last year.
Arising out of that conference, the ambassador said the country received a delegation of 20 people from China in April of this year, to carry out site visits and more detailed research on potential projects.
In the meantime, the Chinese ambassador said over the past 20 years, Chinese companies have been investing in Jamaica in sectors such as infrastructure, construction, information and communication technology (ICT), and in building many landmark projects, such as the North-South Highway and the Pan Caribbean Sugar Company.
Overall, approximately 40,000 jobs have been created in the process through those ventures, Daojiang said.
