FINAL REPORT

13.2.2 Economic Structure and Crop Marketing
Farmland and Cultivation
In 2006, the surveyed farming households cultivated 76.49 ha for crop production -that
means 1.29 ha per household on average. The household with the smallest fields cultivated
0.1 ha, the household with the largest cultivated 4 ha. Households who have access to
sufficient water supply also irrigate hayfields. The households in total used 57.75 ha for hay
making, which is about 0.9 ha per household on average.
Potatoes are the most frequently cultivated crops among surveyed farmers and 50% of
farmland is used for potato plantation (see Fig. 50). Watermelons, turnips, carrots, honeydew
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
38.56
8.61
0.4 0.9 0.49 0.75
7
9.74
5.82
0.05
Potatoes
Carrots
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Onions
Cabbages
Turnips
Watermelons
Honedew
Melons
Sown area (ha)
Other
Crops
Source: Survey results, June 2006
Figure 50: Sown Area for Crop Cultivation of Surveyed Households (ha), Khovd sum (2006)
melons and onions come next but cultivation of irrigation intensive crops is limited due to a
lack of irrigation water. None reported to plant cereals or fodder crops.
Harvest, Processing, Marketing and Household Revenues and Expenditures
50 households responded that they were engaged in crop farming in order to meet household
needs as well as to sell crops at the market and the remaining 9 cultivate only for subsistence
needs. On average, farmers claimed to use only 2.5% of their yields for household needs and
the remaining was sold. 18 Fig. 51 shows the size of harvest and crops marketed in 2005/06.
Corresponding to the sown area, potatoes comprise the largest amount of harvest, followed by
water melons, carrots, honeydew melons, turnips and other vegetables.
18 This percentage seems to be to low, during interviews farmers stated to use 5-10% of their harvest for own
consumption and as seeds. E.g. for one hectare about three tones of seed potatoes areneeded.
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