67.7 million livestock counted nationwide to winter

Economy | Agriculture
baljmaa@montsame.gov.mn
2019-10-10 16:04:34

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/. A nationwide livestock census performed last August found that there are around 84.2 million livestock animals nationwide, including 541.5 thousand camels, 4.5 million horses, 5.4 million cattle, 39.6 million sheep and 34.5 million goats. By gathering data from each local administrative unit, it concluded that some 67.7 million livestock will winter while 16.5 million head of livestock will be consumed. 


According to the report of the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry, about 60 percent of the total pastureland has sufficient carrying capacity for livestock animals in upcoming winter and spring seasons, whereas the remaining 40 percent of grazing land is overloaded. 


Low amount of grass growth in some areas and scarcity of pasture notwithstanding the overall pleasant condition of last summer resulted in overload on the pastureland, especially in Uvurkhangai, Dundgobi, Arkhangai, Gobi-Altai and Khovd aimag, where grazing lands are overburdened 3-5 times. As more than one third of all livestock animals in Mongolia are in those regions, a working group set up by the Agriculture Ministry is currently on assignment there to tackle this issue.