FINAL REPORT

• no specialised crop processing enterprises existing
Only some of the cooperatives preserve higher amounts of vegetables and fruits. Especially
the “Arvan Ulias” cooperative from Buyant sum is well experienced in preserving pickled
cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes and vegetables salad. These are marketed to western aimags
and in smaller amounts also to Ulaanbaatar. Cooperative members expressed that vegetables
preservation in large amounts could be very profitable. The following calculation was made:
For one standard jar of cucumber 350 g of cucumbers are needed. Assumed that prices were
400 MNT per kilogramme, 41 cucumber input would amount to 150 MNT per jar. Other
necessary ingredients like salt, sugar, pepper, garlic, vinegar or dill might cost about 200
MNT. Recycled jars with lid cost about 100-150 MNT at present. 42 In total, this would sum
up to 450-500 MNT per jar. In the stores, preserved Mongolian cucumbers are sold for 1,000
Photo by J. Hartwig, June 2006
Photo 26: A Shop in Jargalant sum Selling
Imported Vegetable Conserves
MNT, imported ones from Vietnam or EU cost
about 1,500 MNT per jar.
in Mongolia so all jars have to be either recycled or newly imported.
According to the estimation of shop keepers, 43
about 90% of marketed, preserved vegetables
stem from imports – thus showing high
potential for import substitution. Skills and
facilities of processors and access to jars and
lids seem to be the core challenges in this
context. At present, there isn’t any glasswork
17.6 Proposals to support Irrigation Agriculture in the Buyant River Delta
In total, 29 traders, cooperative members and members of sum administrations were surveyed.
They raised the following expectations and proposals aiming at improvements in crop
cultivation, marketing and processing:
Marketing/ Finance/ Regulations
• provide training courses for marketing
• support local and regional marketing through organization of regular trade fairs
41 At present, average prices for cucumbers were reported to be 200 MNT per kilogram. In order to make
cultivation more profitable and to stimulate sufficient cultivation, 400 MNTper kilogram were taken for
calculation.
42 These are prices for recycled jars. If demand rises, a sharp increase of jar prices has to be expected.
43 There are about 380 smaller shops in the aimag centre and about five shops each at the centres of Buyant,
Khovd and Myangad sum.
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