September 12, 2012

Buoyed by favourable weather conditions so far this year, Mongolia started its autumn harvests Tuesday (Sep 11), expecting to see the fifth consecutive crop increase annually.

According to official estimates, the country is expected to harvest 468,000 tonnes of wheat, 208,900 tonnes of potato, 99,400 tonnes of vegetable and 28,600 tonnes of rapeseed.

Industry and Agriculture Minister Kh. Battulga said at a recent government meeting that due to the favourable weather conditions since early 2012, Mongolia was expected to have another bumper harvest.

Mongolia's wheat output in 2005 registered 75,000 tonnes, with most of the country's flour and rice then imported from China and Russia.

Since its third land reclamation campaign in 2008, Mongolia's grain production has increased for four years running, and its grain output in 2011 totalled 430,000 tonnes, making it self-sufficient.