The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed the Record of Discussions (R/D) with the Government of Mongolia on January 30, 2009 in Ulaanbaatar for the technical cooperation project “Market Oriented Agriculture Promotion Project (MON-SHEP)”.
The agro-pastoral industry in Mongolia is a key industry in the country, accounting for approximately 11% of GDP (in 2022), second only to the mining industry, and employing approximately 30% of the working population. As the country’s economic growth rate slows down due to the recent decline in mineral prices, the agro-pastoral industry is positioned as a sector that will play a major role in Mongolia’s industrial diversification. However, due to Mongolia’s long, harsh winter season, the time when fresh vegetables can be grown is limited, and 40% of fresh vegetables other than potatoes are dependent on imports from China and other countries, and the self-sufficiency rate of vegetables has been stagnant for many years. As 80% of vegetables are produced by small- and medium-scale farmers with less than 3 hectares, it is necessary to improve the cultivation techniques of small- and medium-scale farmers and establish an effective system that contributes to the expansion of vegetable production in order to improve the domestic self-sufficiency rate, but currently, farming methods are mainly based on traditional open field cultivation, which limits yields and the types of vegetables that can be grown. In order to overcome this situation, the Mongolian government has formulated the “National Policy on Food and Agriculture (2016-2025)” and aims to achieve 100% vegetable self-sufficiency by 2025.
© Source JICA