FINAL REPORT

livestock fodder, and potato cultivation, these sums were famous for their melons, onions and
garlic. These fruits and vegetables were transported as far as Ulaanbaatar as airfreight or by
trucks.
In socialism there was hardly any crop cultivation in Myangad and Jargalant sum, however
the Davshilt negdel of Myangad sum cultivated about 200-250 ha of farmland in the northern
territory of Khovd sum. 14 According to statistics provided by the aimag administration, in the
1980s about 1,000 to 1,500 ha were cultivated each year on the territory of Khovd sum and
1,500 to 2,000 ha in Buyant sum (Aimag Administration Statistics 2006 / see Photo 1 and
Khovd and Myangad Sums
Jargalant Sum*
Buyant Sum
Buyant River Delta total
4 000
3 500
3 000
Sown Area (ha)
2 500
2 000
1 500
1 000
500
0
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
Year
(*no reliable data available for Jargalant sum before 2003)
Source: Statistics provided by aimag and sum administrations
Figure12: Sown Area in the Buyant River Delta (1980-2005)
Fig.12).
In the 1980s, the irrigation system at the Buyant River Delta was modernized with support
from the Soviet Union. In order to regulate the water distribution of Buyant River and to build
a water reservoir, the headwork “Janjin Boolt” was constructed. Commencing from there,
more than 20 kilometres of steel water pipelines were laid below the surface, supplying the
Ulaanburaa and Davshilt brigade (Khovd sum) with water for irrigation. Furthermore Soviet
irrigation equipment was installed to irrigate the fields (see Photo 2).
14 For this reason the following statistics show the combined data of Khovd and Myangad sums.
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