FINAL REPORT

Based on current average prices for vegetables, potatoes and melons, at least one hectare 34
cropland has to be cultivated each year, so that an average farmer’s household has sufficient
vegetables, potato and fruit harvest for its own needs and seeds and an income, which enables
its members to live above the minimum livelihood level. In 2005 this was defined at 23,200
MNT per person and month (NSOM 2006:264). 35 But it should be born in mind that crop
prices are highly variable within different seasons and years and that income from crop
marketing declines if households are not able to store their harvest in order to sell when prices
are high.
Cereals are hardly cultivated anymore by households due to the fact that yields are low and
prices for imported cereals and flour are low as well. Calculations show that an average
household would have to cultivate about 0.75 hectare cereals in order to meet its subsistence
needs. 36 Thus most households prefer to cultivate vegetables, melons, and potatoes and to buy
imported flour. Also fodder and technical crops (mainly sunflowers) are cultivated to a much
lesser extent.
17.3 Crop Marketing
The following different modes of crop marketing were reported:
1) at the markets in theaimag center
2) at the fields to mobile traders and herdsmen
3) at distant locations (mainly to the western aimags Bayan-Ulgii, Uvs, Govi-Altai,
Zavkhan) and during trade fairs
4) at local sum centers
The most important market for crops is theaimag center. Crops are sold the whole year round
at the central market (tuv zakh, see Photos 17-18) and to a lesser extend at the Buyant market
(Buyant zakh).
34 Including fallow land and hayfields approximately two hectares farmland appear the minimum size of fields an
average households needs to possess in order to escape poverty.
35 This calculation includes 30% costs for inputs, services, labour and taxes.
36 In Khovd aimag the average yield of cereal cultivation between 2002 and 2005 was 0.88 t/ha (NSOM
2006:184,189)
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