In 2017, Munkh Nogoon Tal LL C yielded 5 thousand kilograms of strawberry and this year the company plans to increase its yield up to 8 thousand kilograms. The strawberry is planted in soil and hydroponically.

Moreover, Nogoon Sor LLC has been cultivating strawberry, watermelon and grape since 2009. In 2017, Nogoon Sor LL C harvested 20 tons of strawberry; however, due to technical problems, strawberry yield is expected to drop to 12 tons. Last year, the company harvested 24 tons of watermelon and is now expecting 35 tons of watermelon. Nogoon Sor LLC has been experimenting to plant peach since 2015 and plans to cultivate more fruits in the future.

Since 2005, Atriin Shim LL C has been cultivating four types of fruit in greenhouse. In 2017, the company harvested over 20 tons of fruit and expects 30 tons this year. The company has greenhouses in Sergelen soum of Tuv aimag and 40 percent of the greenhouses is dedicated to fruit and other 60 percent are for vegetables.

According to the Mongolian Federation of Greenhouse Farming, Mongolia imports 18-22 thousand tons of fruit annually. Each year, Mongolia produces over 2560 tons and 10 types of fruit, of which almost 92 percent of the entire production comes from sea buckthorn. However, this only covers 1.5 percent of domestic fruit demand.

Kara-ool pointed out that Tuva is interested in strengthening bilateral relations in roads and transportation, trade and economic cooperation.

During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on an ongoing project to build a railway connecting Kyzyl, the capital of Tuva, with Tsagaan Tolgoi port at the Mongolian and Russian border, which was agreed to become the northern part of the railway corridor during the Eastern Economic Forum held in Vladivostok, Russia in September 2017.

The parties unanimously agreed that the two nations should strengthen regional and mutually beneficial cooperation, and promote business and people-to-people relations.

During the meeting organizations have introduced the current works they are implementing and the works they are planning to implement in Mongolia. Minister D.Tsogtbaatar noted that the relations between the two countries should not only be an intergovernmental partnership, but also a broader humanitarian relationship between the two people. In this context, the activities of the organizations contribute in enriching the bilateral relations between Mongolia and the U.S and the Minister thanked the organizations for their contribution to Mongolia’s socio-economic development.

The two sides exchanged views on supporting volunteerism in Mongolia, continuing the “LEAD Mongolia” program, expanding the private sector cooperation between the two countries, implementation of beef export promotion project and other potentials and new opportunities of cooperation. The two governments expressed their support and willingness to cooperate within these works.

During the visit, the Foreign Affairs Minister is expected to hold talks with senior Russian officials and exchange information on the implementation of the Mongolia-Russia Medium-Term Strategic Partnership Programme.

In addition, the two sides will discuss a wide range of issues including deepening bilateral cooperation in the areas of trade, economy and investment, as well as intensifying trilateral cooperation between Mongolia-Russia-China and studying possibilities for starting cooperation between Mongolia and the Eurasian Economic Union.

According to the first four months of 2018, gross production of industrial sector reached MNT 4.5 trillion, with an increase of MNT798.8 billion (21.5 percent) as compared with the same period of the previous year.

The production of mining and extractive industries increased by MNT567.9 billion (21.0 percent), which was mainly influenced by the increase of extractions of coal (35.4 percent) and metal ores (14.6 percent). Extractive industry makes up 72.3 percent in the gross production of industrial sector.

Major commodities of mining and extractive industries include 14.9 million tons of coal, 445.4 thousand tons of copper concentrate, 2.9 tons of gold, 1.8 thousand tons of molybdenum concentrate, 1.0 million tons of iron ore concentrate, 21.3 thousand tons of spar concentrate, 30.0 thousand tons of zinc concentrate, 2.3 million barrels of oil and 4.8 thousand tons of copper cathode.

As of the first four months of the year, the sector accumulated MNT694.8 billion to the state budget as taxes, fees and royalties. MNT 11.5 billion was accumulated from gold mining, MNT 255.8 billion--from coal, MNT 37.7 billion -- zinc, MNT 352.0 billion --copper, MNT 8.3 billion --iron, MNT 4.6 billion --fluorspar and MNT 25.0 billion from others. The income accumulated to the state budget increased by MNT 229.8 billion or 1.5 times, compared to the same period of the previous year.

In 2018, it is planned to extract 8.1 million barrel or 1.1 million tons of oil, accumulating MNT223.4 billion at the state budget. As of May 11, it has extracted 2.44 million barrel or 310 thousand tons of oil, with a 30.16 percent fulfillment of the plan. Moreover, 2.38 million barrel or 300 thousand tons oil were exported. As of April 30, the oil export brought MNT73.4 billion to the state budget.

M.Unurzul

ADB operations in 67 countries, 48 in the Asia Pacific region, totaled 32.2 billion USD, including 11.9 billion USD in co-financing, last year.

As of March 31, 2018, the Mongolian government received 2.14 billion USD in loans (58 concessional loans and 14 ordinary capital resources), 103.8 million USD through 107 technical assistance and grants, 101.6 million USD in project and technical assistance co-financing, 94.5 million USD in non-sovereign loans (four loans), and 101.5 million USD in grant funding from the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction.

To date, 38 loans and grants have been distributed to Mongolia through 29 projects with the total net amount of 1.15 billion USD. Currently, there are 43 ongoing technical assistance, 14 of which were approved in 2017. These assistances are worth 9.7 million USD. The total value of all ongoing technical assistance amount to 42.92 million USD and if we look closer at their allocation, 24 of them are for capacity building, 11 for project preparatory, seven for policy advisory, and one for regional technical assistance.
Loans and Grants approved in 2017

Last year, ADB projected almost 400 million USD for six new and ongoing projects.

No Project Name Amount (million USD) Source
1 Social Welfare Support Program, Phase II (PBL) 150.0 OCR
2 Banking Sector Rehabilitation and Financial Stability Strengthening Program 100.0 OCR
3 Ulaanbaatar Urban Services and Ger Areas Development Investment Program (Tranche-2) 67.85 OCR
4 Sustaining Access to and Quality of Education During Economic Difficulties Project 50.0 COL
5 Ensuring Inclusiveness and Service Delivery for Persons with Disabilities Project 25.0 COL
6 Community Vegetable Farming for Livelihood Improvement 3.0 JFPR
7 Ensuring Inclusiveness and Service Delivery for Persons with Disabilities 2.0 JFPR
TOTAL: 397.85 
OCR = ordinary capital resources, COL = concessional OCR lending, JFPR = Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction, PBL = policy-based loan

Speaking at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch conference in Miami, chief executive Jean Sebastien-Jacques said he remained optimistic about the medium to long-term global growth outlook. However, he mentioned volatility in markets, trade wars and governments efforts to get greater share of their mineral wealth — most times to the detriment of private companies — as growing concern for investors in the natural resources sector in the short-term.

Last year, Rio Tinto was responsible for half of the total cash returns across the mining sector.
“From the DRC and South Africa to Mongolia and Australia [resource nationalism] is gaining momentum,” he said, adding he was optimistic that common sense in all those cases would prevail.

Major miners operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa’s top copper producer and source of over 60% of the global cobalt supply, are vigorously fighting a new mining code. The fresh legislation strips away a stability clause protecting existing investments from changes to the fiscal and customs regime for 10 years, introduces a 50% windfall profits tax and gives powers to the mines minister to hike royalties on minerals considered “strategic”.

It all began in Indonesia, which imposed new rules on the exports of unprocessed ore early last year. Tanzania followed suit imposing two months later a ban on exports of gold concentrates. Something similar happened in South Africa, which last year unveiled a revised mining code that would have imposed a 1% tax on mining companies’ revenues – as opposed to their profits, as is common.

In Mongolia the government claims that Oyu Tolgoi, a copper joint venture run by Rio, owes $155 million in unpaid taxes. A claim the company denies.

Miners are also facing higher costs, Jacque said.“In this environment, asset quality really matters and operating capability is critical. Protecting margins and generating cash will be hard across the industry.”

Rio’s boss said that, despite the challenges, the industry should continue its efforts to keep costs and debt under control and so deliver better returns to shareholders.

“This is why we are actively shaping our portfolio to focus on the best assets…… in commodities with sound long-term fundamentals. This will further drive sector leading return on capital employed,” he said, adding that last year Rio Tinto was responsible for half of the total cash returns across the sector.

More than half of the HIV-infected people are between 20 and 44 years old. About 99 percent of the infections were sexually transmitted, the report said.

The first case of HIV infection in Mongolia was recorded in 1992. Since then, 40 people have died of AIDS in this Asian country with a population of over 3 million.

The 2.5-year project aims to develop local community-based tourism. This is a good way for people to improve their income by introducing their traditional lifestyle to foreign tourists while restoring and preserving the forgotten heritage. The project will be implemented in Bayankhongor, Uvs and Selenge aimags in cooperation with the world’s tourism leader, Thailand.

Deputy Director-General of TICA Banchong Amornchewin said “I am delighted to share Thailand’s experience, achievements and advantages in tourism sector with Mongolia. Last year, Thailand welcomed 35 million tourists. Bangkok is the leader in attracting international tourists, followed by London. We will share not only the achievements, but also the failures we experienced.”

Total budget of this project is about EUR 500.000 and 200.000 will be funded by the German Government, another EUR 200.000 by the Government of Thailand and EUR 50.000 by Mongolian Government.

B.Misheel