MONGOLlA had harvested 244,500 tons of potatoes by the start of October, representing a yield increase of 68,600 tons on the same period last year.
Mongolia is now 100% self-sufficient in potato seeds and is currently implementing a national three-year program for the production of virus-free, super-elite, and elite seed varieties.
The country requires 250,000 to 500,000 potato tubers annually. To date, up to 245,000 tons of tubers are produced nationwide.
Various initiatives have been helped the land-locked nation to make potato production a viable sustainable practice over the past 20 years.
In 2004, the Mongolian Potato Program (MPP) was launched as part of the Mongolian Farmer Association for Rural Development (MFARD), backed by the International Potato Center (CIP), with financial support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Mongolian Ministry of Agriculture. CIP clones were introduced, along with Chinese hybrid crosses for breeding new varieties. A seed production system was specifically developed for the country.
In 2011, the Mongolian Ministry of Agriculture reported that production had increased by almost 22% between 2010 and 2011, shortly before the project entered its exit period. Tumurbat Turmandakh, the Program Coordinator for MPP, said that in 2012, the initiative distributed a total of 970 tons of high-quality potato seeds to farmers throughout the country for spring planting.
Tuv Aimag (a central Mongolian province), is the largest potato-producing province in Mongolia and accounts for around 42% of the total land for potato production in the country.
In December last year, Mongolian news agency, Montsame, reported that the domestic harvest for potatoes and vegetables set a record, with The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry dubbing 2023 the “Year of Agricultural Revival.”
Mongolia’s domestic yield met the demand for potatoes at 100% in 2023 and set a record for vegetable harvesting for the first time in history. At that point, Minister of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry Kh. Bolorchuluun emphasised the need to increase the workforce, stabilise prices, and increase sales to increase historical success.
Sources: CIP / Montsame / Fresh Plaza Photo: CIP
