Enhancing the quality of seed potatoes in Mongolia
In the fight against widespread poverty, many households have begun to cultivate potatoes and vegetables, which has become a substantial source of alternative income and food security for them. The number of households planting vegetables - predominantly potatoes - increased from a few hundred in 1997 to more than 100,000 in 2004.
Mongolia’s potato sector, and in particular the seed-supply system, collapsed in the 1990s during Mongolia’s transition from a centrally planned economy to a free-market economic system. Consequently, the sector’s productivity dropped substantially due to a lack of good-quality seed potatoes, a lack of growers’ skills, and a lack of appropriate technologies, notably in relation to irrigation, storage and management.
In response, the Government of Mongolia requested Switzerland’s help in overcoming the challenges and revitalising the sector.
Introduction of High Quality Seeds
In 2004, SDC launched a project to renovate potato seed stock with high-quality seeds. The project has since established a nationwide delivery system for quality potato seeds, reaching both small-scale and large-scale farmers.
The introduction of the new and high-quality seeds, primarily imported from Germany and Holland, has resulted in higher yields and higher incomes for farmers. Since 2007, Mongolia has reached 100 percent self-sufficiency in domestic potato production, more than 40 percent of which are new and high-quality varieties - and this is largely the result of the contribution made by the SDC-funded Mongolian Potato Programme (MPP). Average potato yields increased from 8.62 t/ha in 2004 to 12.2 t/ha in 2010. The amount of imported and low-quality potatoes, mainly originating from China, dropped to 10 percent in 2010 from 30.9 percent in 2004.
The Mongolian Potato Programme has successfully completed its first two phases, reaching its goal of establishing a national delivery system of premium potato seeds. As of 2011, the MPP is working nationwide with six formal and 320 informal seed multipliers, as well as 685 seed-renovating farmers in 262 soums of 21 aimags - a decentralised potato-seed multiplication system.
| Paese/Regione | Tema | Periodo | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Mongolia |
Agricoltura e sicurezza alimentare
Sviluppo agricolo
|
01.07.2004
- 31.12.2007 |
CHF 1'190'000
|
- Gruppo consultivo per la ricerca agricola internazionale
-
Settore in base alle categorie del Comitato di Aiuto allo sviluppo (DAC) dell'OCSE AGRICOLTURA
Sotto-Settore in base alle categorie del Comitato di Aiuto allo sviluppo (DAC) dell'OCSE Sviluppo agricolo
Tipo di aiuto Contributo al progetto e al programma
Numero del progetto 7F03747
| Direzione/Ufficio responsabile |
DSC |
| Credito |
Cooperazione allo sviluppo |
| Partner del progetto |
Partner contrattuale Instituzione universitaria e di ricerca straniera |
| Budget | Fase in corso Budget Svizzera CHF 1'190'000 Budget svizzero attualmente già speso CHF 1'193'300 |
| Fasi del progetto | Fase 3 01.01.2012 - 31.03.2016 (Completed) |