Kazakh and Monogolian agricultural experts exchange views on grain and vegetable production

From Aug 13-20, 2024, a study tour to Almaty, Kazakhstan took place. It was an activity of the German-Mongolian Cooperation Project Sustainable Agriculture (DMKNL), which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) and implemented by IAK Agrar Consulting GmbH. The study tour focused on the cultivation and marketing of vegetables in southern Kazakhstan (Almaty region) and the exchange of experiences between Kazakhstan and Mongolia.

Kazakhstan and Mongolia are landlocked countries and direct neighbors. Both countries have similar natural conditions with a continental climate. Agriculture in the steppe regions of northern Kazakhstan is mostly extensive due to the arid conditions and is therefore comparable to agriculture in Mongolia. In the south of Kazakhstan, the climate is milder, which is advantageous for the cultivation of fruit and vegetables, which are grown both outdoors and in greenhouses.

Members of the Mongolian delegation included high-ranking agricultural experts and decision-makers, such as Kyenjyegul Khavdoldai, Senior Specialist at the Mongolian Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry, Batbold Serchin, Scientist at the Institute of Plant and Agricultural Sciences, and Dr. Bayartulga Lkhagvasuren, President of the Mongolian National Farmers' Organization.

A highlight of the tour was the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Kazakh National Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the Mongolian National Association of Cereal Farmers to intensify bilateral cooperation in agricultural research and production.

Two further memoranda of understanding were also discussed: one between the Kazakh Research Institute of Plant Protection and Quarantine and the Mongolian Institute of Plant Protection and another between the Kazakh Research Institute of Vegetable and Potato Production and the Mongolian Institute of Plant and Agricultural Sciences. Both agreements aim to promote the exchange of knowledge and cooperation in specific areas of agriculture.

The study trip offered the Mongolian participants valuable opportunities to learn from Kazakhstan's experience and discuss innovative approaches for improving domestic agriculture.