Page 12 - Vol.39-No.1

CROP PROTECTION

BROADENING DIETS AND GROWING

OPPORTUNITIES IN MONGOLIA

Located in Central Asia, Mongolia is the introduce on her farm to increase her in-
most sparsely populated fully sovereign come. The Erdene district used to grow
country in the world. Landlocked and far corn for animal feed in the past, therefore,
from the sea, the vast grazing lands and she hoped to restore this practice and plant
grassy steppe of Mongolia have for cen- crops that were already tested in this area.
turies been a heartland of nomadic animal As part of the project, an SSC expert
husbandry. About 73 percent of agricul- from China, Kang Lianhe, was hosted in
tural land is pastureland used for raising Manlai Uurgach where he shared with
livestock. Lkhagva his rich knowledge and exper-
But harsh weather and short growing tise on the production of animal feed crop
seasons skew diets in the region and can varieties and fodder cultivation technology
lead to malnutrition. In remote areas of practiced in China. He taught Lkhagva how niques and the addition of equipment: five
more hectares of green fodder, and the
Mongolia, daily consumption of fresh veg- to plow and cultivate the soil and adjust farm’s corn-growing season has extended
etables is limited, which leads to a greater the depth of the seedlings.
risk of diseases caused by mineral and vita- Lkhagva also learned about greenhouse using the hybrid seedlings. The number of
min deficiencies. Greenhouse farming and farming. Kang offered advice on winter greenhouses had doubled from three to six.
importation are, for some, the only options greenhouse construction and cultivation of “It has had a great impact on our liveli-
to access to fresh vegetables and fruits. strawberries, cucumbers and tomatoes. It hood,” says Lkhagva, more than delighted.

The Manlai Uurgach family farm not only catered to the consumption needs “Now with 10 hectares of green fodder, we
can get 5 000 bales of hay. We increased
of the family but also brought stable, ad-
Lkhagva Yondon relies on her family farm, ditional income. the number of cattle from five to 70 - 80.”
Manlai Uurgach, located in Tuv province
of central Mongolia for her daily income Beyond farming practices and techni- FAO SSC Mongolia project
and nutrition. cal knowhow, the SSC project also intro- SSC is a framework that enables de-
duced machinery to enhance productivity. veloping countries to share and exchange
In the past, her family struggled to be
self-sufficient. Mongolia’s extreme climate The farm witnessed a significant boost in practical knowledge, experience, resources
of very hot summers and bitterly cold win- production after acquiring a seeder and a and technology to address common de-
cultivator.
velopment challenges.
ters brought with it many challenges.
“Mongolians are educated and knowl- The FAO-China SSC Programme was
Over the past two decades, with in-
creasingly erratic weather conditions due edgeable in horticulture and agriculture established in 2009 with an initial con-
to climate change, droughts and dzuds (a technologies. What they need are the right tribution of USD 30 million from the gov-
machinery and automation,” explained Ji ernment of China to help improve food
very harsh winter preceded by a hot, dry Ergela, SSC Team Leader, who also provided security and promote sustainable agricul-
summer) have become more frequent and technical support as part of the project.
severe. These can lead to large-scale live- ture in developing countries. China has so
stock deaths, threatening the livelihoods Visible impact on livelihoods far contributed a total of USD 130 million
to the Programme.
of many smallholder farmers and herders. The introduction of fodder cultiva-
In addition, a lack of knowledge about tion technology through the SSC Project Mongolia’s was the first national project
best practices in horticulture, unreliable showed that corn grown from hybrid seeds implemented in Asia under the FAO-China
yields and an insufficient supply from can grow well in the Mongolian climate. SSC programme. The project addressed
the gaps in technical capacities that were
greenhouses and markets have led to a The corn grown demonstrated positive impeding the country’s ability to improve
heavy reliance on imported fruit and veg- increases in height, weight and diameter,
etables, which are unaffordable for much resulting in more green mass for the pro- agricultural and livestock production and
productivity.
of the rural population. duction of animal feed and higher yield of
Chinese experts provided support and
Climate resilient practices forage per hectare. technical assistance to over 28 host en-
Silage making brought immediate eco-
and diversified crops nomic benefits, relieved the overreliance on tities, including private individual farms,
Lkhagva decided to seek some help to pastureland and lessened land degradation NGOs and government agencies, in the
break the cycle. When she heard that a due to overgrazing. Adequate feed led to areas of livestock production, crop pro-
new project under the FAO-China South- higher quality and better tasting milk, a duction, food safety, wholesale trade and
South Cooperation (SSC) Programme was direct benefit for farmers as well as Mon- extension services.
launched in Mongolia, she approached the golian consumers. Lkhagva and many other participants
Mongolian Ministry of Food, Agriculture Manlai Uurgach’s production capacity have gained rich experience in agricultural
and Light Industry, a partner of SSC, for and output have significantly increased practices and technologies that they will
support. apply in Mongolia for better production, a
thanks to the support provided through
She sought help in growing corn for the SSC project. The farm enlarged the better environment, better nutrition and
animal feed, a practice she was keen to cultivation land area with the seedling tech- a better life. Circle 15 on enquiry card

10 Vol. 39 No. 1