COOPERATIVES CAN PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN MONGOLIAN FOOD SECURITY

This year Mongolian weather experts predict that the dzud will be especially harsh. This is difficult news for Mongolian farmers and herders who make up more than half the Mongolian population. They have already suffered through a dry summer where rains did not arrive until after the main growing season ended which severely impacted harvests. We can already see the mounting panic reflected in the government’s decision to halt hay exports in hopes of maintaining an adequate supply of animal feed during the coming winter – but this will not be enough. Without sufficient animal feed supplies and a harsh, deep freeze dairy cows will cease to produce milk and animals will begin to starve.

Citizens of UB should pay attention. Last winter, we city dwellers got used to having plenty of organic, Mongolian vegetables and as a country we benefited from exporting the hay. Prices for local produce were reasonable and Mongolian milk and dairy products were widely available all year. This allowed us to avoid imported products of questionable quality and have greater confidence in Mongolian food security. This year will be different.

This year, the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry (MOFALI) has already announced that hay and vegetable harvests are down 40%. All last year’s progress will be erased. Prices are going to increase to account for the growing scarcity of Mongolian vegetables and dairy products. In response, Mongolia will be forced to increase imports from China and elsewhere to cover the country’s rising tastes for fresh produce.

Cooperatives are more important to Mongolia than ever. They serve as a solution to our country’s unique history of nomadic herders and extreme climate. Traditionally, Mongolian families may have hundreds of animals and must work to support them all year round with little assistance. However, despite their famously nomadic lifestyle the USAID/ EMIRGE program has shown over the past 7 years that when herders and farmers work together they can more than double their production even in the winter. By collectively producing green fodder, fermenting nutritious silage and sharing their knowledge in the summer they can independently keep their cows healthy and productive during the winter. The results of their efforts can be seen in the increasing numbers of local products on UB shelves.

So what can city dwellers do to support the presence of cooperatives and their products in Mongolia? The first thing you can do is Buy Mongolian. Choose to buy your produce from Mongolian cooperatives and producer groups who sell at farm stands around UB or at expos and festivals supported by MOFALI and the National Mongolian Agriculture Cooperative Association (NAMAC). Take your families and friends to the farmers’ markets and experience the quality and the freshness of the products yourselves. The second thing you can do is contact MOFALI’s Small to Medium Enterprise (SME) department and let them know that you want to see more support go to the country’s growing cooperatives by providing capacity building and business management courses offered to encourage all farmers to work together to support Mongolian food security in dairy, wheat and fresh produce. Remember, winter is coming but you can make a difference.

Included is a link to all the cooperative farmers markets in UB. Take the opportunity to express your support.