Mongolia: nella provincia di Selenge vengono raccolte 27,000 tonnellate di patate, pari al 57.5% della superficie coltivata.

Farmers in Selenge province, the main crop region of Mongolia, have harvested 27,000 tonnes of potatoes. They dug 1,856 hectares out of 3,200 hectares planted. This is 57.5% of the plan. The state news agency Montsame reported the figures on 26 September. The data refer to 25 September.

The average potato yield in Selenge so far is about 14.5 tonnes per hectare. This is our calculation from the reported area and volume. The province also harvested 37,500 tonnes of other vegetables.

The grain harvest in Selenge moves more slowly. Overall, the province had completed 30% of its harvest by 25 September. Farmers collected 82,200 tonnes of wheat from 45,000 hectares. The average wheat yield was 1.8 tonnes per hectare, the agency said.

Smaller volumes in the west

In Zavkhan province in western Mongolia, farmers harvested 826.4 tonnes of potatoes from 72.9 hectares. This gives about 11.3 tonnes per hectare, according to our calculation. Montsame reported these data on 25 September. Weather slowed the harvest in the province, the agency said.

Zavkhan is expanding irrigation. Irrigated land in the province reached 778.1 hectares, 361 hectares more than a year earlier. By 24 September, farmers had harvested 3,742.3 tonnes of all crops from 1,492.1 hectares.

Self-sufficient in potatoes

Mongolia grows almost all the potatoes it eats. In 2023, the government said the country had fully covered its domestic demand for potatoes. It also produced nearly all seed for its staple vegetables, Montsame reported at the time.

Perché è importante

Mongolia has a very short growing season. Potatoes must be lifted before hard frost. With only 57.5% of the area harvested in Selenge by late September, the next two weeks are critical for the crop.

Yields of 11–15 tonnes per hectare are low by international standards. They show the potential of irrigation, better seed and storage in the country. Exporters of seed potatoes, irrigation systems and storage equipment should follow how Mongolia invests in these areas after the harvest.

Photo: Flowering potato plants (not Mongolia) (illustrative). Ввласенко / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0