FINAL REPORT

2. The majority of crop farmers cultivates to meet subsistence needs as well as to market
their crop harvest. In total, more than 90% of harvest is marketed. Average revenue
from vegetables and potato harvest is approximately 2million MNT/ha. Potatoes are
the most often cultivated crops, followed by melons, carrots and turnips. Cereals and
technical crops, like sunflowers, are hardly cultivated anymore due to the fact that
yields are low and prices for imported flour and vegetables oil are low.
3. Based on current average crop prices, at least one hectare land has to be cultivated
each year, so that a farmer’s household has sufficient crops for its own needs and
seeds and an income from crop marketing which enables its members to escape
poverty.
4. Crop cultivation increasingly provides food security for the local and regional
population: Within the Buyant River Delta there is a significant surplus production of
potatoes and vegetables. Crops are marketed at the aimag center or to the western
aimags (Bayan-Ulgii, Uvs, Govi-Altai, and Zavkhan). In recent years especially the
demand from these aimags, where a significant lack between demand and own harvest
prevails, has increased sharply. If crop farming is extended, the Buyant River Delta
has the potential to become the center of vegetables, fruit and potato production
for the whole Western Region of Mongolia.
5. Most experienced crop farming households have built own storage facilities for crop
harvest. However new and less experienced farmers face difficulties to store their
harvest. They are forced to sell their crops at autumn, when prices are low and thus
having problems to generate incomes in other seasons.
6. Due to low skills and experiences in preserving, heavy work load in autumn,
difficulties in obtaining sufficient jars and lids, and the fact that no specialised crop
processing enterprises exist, processing of vegetables is very limited in the Buyant
River Delta. Apart from some cooperatives, most households preserve vegetables only
for their own needs or for sale in small amounts. According to estimations of shop
keepers, about 90% of marketed, preserved vegetables stem from imports.
Calculations show that there is high potential for increased value adding, employment
and import substitution if current processing problems are solved.
7. Surveyed traders, cooperative members and members of sum administrations
formulated expectations and proposals aiming at improvements in crop cultivation,
marketing and processing. These included training courses for vegetables processing
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