FINAL REPORT
FINAL REPORT
FINAL REPORT
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A. Introduction (J. Janzen and J. Hartwig)<br />
1. Statement of Problem and Key-Questions to be answeredObjectives of the Study<br />
(J. Hartwig)<br />
Traditionally, the Buyant River Delta used to be the most important center of cultivation<br />
agriculture in western Mongolia. It is well known for its vegetables and melons, but due to<br />
difficulties caused by the transition to a market economy, crop farming declined significantly<br />
at the beginning of the 1990s. The mechanized state farms and collectives were dissolved,<br />
dams, channels and irrigation systems deceased and farmland became fallow land.<br />
Distribution and marketing channels broke down and many people lost their employment.<br />
Today almost half of the population of Khovd aimag lives in poverty.<br />
Aiming at improving their livelihoods, individual households have started crop farming in<br />
recent years. At present, cultivation agriculture sustains the livelihoods of almost 1,000<br />
households in the Buyant River Delta and several more would like to join them. But further<br />
extension of cultivation agriculture appears impossible at present. Although land resources are<br />
available, these can not be cultivated, mainly due to a lack of irrigation water. Water scarcity<br />
causes serious conflicts between different user groups and the local communities are<br />
searching for solutions.<br />
To improve the current irrigation, cultivation and crop processing and marketing situation, the<br />
following key questions have to be answered:<br />
• What is the present situation of cultivation agriculture in the Buyant River Delta?<br />
• What are the needs and visions of the local population concerning the future<br />
development of land and wateruse?<br />
• What are the ecological, technical and social causes of water scarcity?<br />
• Are sufficient land and water resources available for extension?<br />
• What are the ecological risks of extension of irrigated crop farming?<br />
• What is the present situation of crop marketing and processing, where are the future<br />
market potentials?<br />
2. Objectives of the Study(J. Janzen)<br />
The first objective of this study is to provide detailed scientific information about the present<br />
structure and state as well as recent changes of irrigated cultivation agriculture (including<br />
demographical, economical, social, ethnical, marketing, institutional, legal, historical, as well<br />
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