FINAL REPORT

B. Cultivation Agriculture on the National Level and in the Western
Periphery of Mongolia (J. Hartwig)
5. Cultivation Agriculture on the National Level
Mongolia with its vast but sparsely populated territory covers a total area of 1,565,000 square
kilometres. Due to the extreme climatic conditions and the short vegetation period only about
2% (3.5 million ha) of the total area are estimated as suitable for cultivation agriculture
(Barthel 1990:132). Traditionally the Mongolian economy was predominantly based on
mobile animal husbandry and cultivation agriculture played only a supplementary role. 4
After the foundation of the Mongolian People's Republic in 1924 and in particular after 1950
the state intensified efforts to expand crop production by establishing state farms (sangiin aj
akhui), fodder crop farms (tejeelin aj akhui) and herders’ cooperatives (negdel). 5 Through
reclaiming virgin lands, through mechanizing farm operations, through introduction of
organic and mineral fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides and through developing irrigation
systems, Mongolia fully met domestic demand for cereals, potatoes, vegetables, and
livestock fodder and was even able to export crops until 1989 (GOM 2003:120). During
socialism agricultural machines, as well as advice and expertise in mechanization were
provided mainly by the Soviet Union. In 1989 Mongolia had 837,900 ha of sown land, 80% of
which were used for the production of cereals, 18 % for fodder crops, 1.5% for potatoes and
0.5% for vegetables (NSOM 2004).
Since 1990, with the transition to a market economy, the state farms and cooperatives were
privatized. Due to the lack of management skills and capacity to run the business in the
market economy, due to sharply reduced direct and indirect external and government
support, as well as in consequence of cheap prices for imported crops and groceries,
cultivation agriculture and harvest dropped significantly (see Fig. 2). 6 Additionally droughts
and natural hazards have caused shortfalls, especially in the non-irrigated cultivation
agriculture.
4 However, in some parts of the country, especially in the western region of Khovd, cultivation agriculture
traditionally played an important role for the livelihoods of agro-pastoralists and farmers, who mainly belonged
to the ethnic minorities of that region.
5 In 1980, 75% of the total farmland was cultivated by state and fodder supply farms, the remaining by negdels
(Barthel 1990:135).
6 The total sawn area declined from 837.900 ha in 1989 to 179.900 ha in 2005 (NSOM 2004, NSOM 2006).
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