FINAL REPORT

15. 3 Summary
The main findings of field research in the irrigated agriculture of Buyant sum can be
summarized as follows:
1. After a significant decrease of cultivation agriculture due to the dissolution of the
negdel and the fodder crop farm in the beginning of the transition period, in recent
years private households are increasingly engaged in crop farming, mainly cultivating
potatoes, vegetables and melons. Today, according to provided statistics, 42% (321)
out of 755 households in Buyant sum are engaged in cultivation agriculture. Thus,
next to herding, crop farming is the main livelihood strategy in Buyant sum.
2. Surveyed households reported to sell more than 90% of their harvest, showing that
cultivation agriculture is already highly market oriented. Average income from crop
farming amounts to 3.1million MNTper household.
3. In 2005, 23% of the aimag’s cultivated land was located in Buyant sum. The core
farming area lies in the Norjinkhairkhan bag in the Buyant River Delta.
4. Duringsocialism, the sum’s negdel and fodder crop farm used to cultivate about 2,000
ha farmland and by the year 2005, the size of farmland was only 482 ha. This shows
that there are potential land resources for expanding farming activities. However,
further extension seems to be restricted due to scarcity of irrigation water.
Nevertheless a Chinese investor intends to start wheat cultivation on up to 500 ha that
he acquired from the sum administration. According to the administration there are
also many more households in the sum centers, who wish to engage in cultivation
agriculture but ca not at present because they do not have access to irrigated land.
5. 45% of households responded that they face problems with water availability and 54%
supported the reconstruction of Janjin Boolt headwork. But there is a strong fear to
loose water access after the headwork is reconstructed. This is due to the fact that
today more water from the Buyant River is floating to Buyant sum and less to Khovd
sum. The households wanted this division to remain unchanged after the
reconstruction. Most of surveyed households reminded that in case the facility is
reconstructed, they would need a proper decision making council for waterdistribution
and guarding, otherwise there is a danger of damage and watertheft.
6. There were hardly any concrete proposals or ideas about efficient use of water which
indicates high need for training in this field. Channels need reliable blocks and barriers
and have to be well organized -otherwise there will be large waste of water.
137