ULAANBAATAR, MONGOLIA – In observance of World Milk Day, a press conference was jointly organized on May 31, 2022, by the Dairy Asia Secretariat, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Light Industry of Mongolia, the Mongolian Food Industry Association, and the Mongolian Dairy Farmers’ Association.

The event featured remarks from key stakeholders in the regional and national dairy sector:

• Ms. G. Nyamjargal, Assistant Representative, FAO Mongolia

• Mr. B. Batbaatar, CEO & Coordinator, Dairy Asia

• Mr. M. Narmandakh, CEO, Mongolian Food Industry Association

• Mr. G. Gankhuyag, Chairman, Mongolian Dairy Farmers’ Association

Ms. G. Nyamjargal opened the conference by noting that World Milk Day, declared by the UN, has been celebrated globally since 2001. She highlighted FAO Mongolia’s collaborative work on dairy sector development, focusing on supporting milk production, collection, and refrigeration. She emphasized the importance of camel milk production alongside cow milk and mentioned ongoing cooperative efforts to draft a school milk program, which is expected to increase domestic consumption.

Mr. B. Batbaatar reported on recent Dairy Asia activities, including a dialogue on camel milk production held on May 26, 2022. The event featured speakers from five countries and culminated in a proposal to establish an “International Bactrian Association” in Ulaanbaatar. He also mentioned a bilateral meeting between India and Mongolia, stating that the Mongolian dairy sector could benefit from studying India’s successful ‘White Revolution’, the ‘Amul model’, and its school milk program.

Mr. G. Gankhuyag stated that celebrating World Milk Day has become a tradition for the Mongolian Dairy Farmers’ Association. As part of its social responsibility, the Association planned to distribute dairy products to 10,000 children. He also discussed active Public-Private Partnership (PPP) work to reduce dairy import dependency and highlighted a successful government policy providing cash incentives for winter milk production, which has led to a 23 percent increase in dairy farming productivity.

Mr. M. Narmandakh concluded by emphasizing that World Milk Day plays a crucial role in raising public awareness of the milk and dairy sector. She announced that the Association’s members and numerous milk processing factories would actively participate in a comprehensive event, including a public exhibition of dairy products, and extended a warm welcome to all attendees.