The global pandemic COVID-19 did not skip Mongolia. On 27 January 2020, Mongolia shut its borders with China and closed all kindergartens, schools, and public gatherings as preventive measures against the COVID-19 outbreak. The first case of COVID-19 in the country was reported on 10 March and as of 16 July 2020, 262 cases have been confirmed in the country which was all imported. No death has been recorded so far.
Mongolia also closed its borders with Russia. The decision was made to stop the inflow and outflow of people. International flights from COVID-19 hotspots were also banned. These steps greatly helped to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Mongolia. The international borders remain closed until today and only charter flights repatriating Mongolian citizens are allowed to land. Upon arrival, passengers must follow strict protocols, including quarantine for three weeks. So far, the current preventive measures were extended until 1 September 2020 as announced by the State Emergency Commission.
Since the COVID-19 broke out in China in December, the economy of Mongolia has been struggling as it is largely dependent on the Chinese market. The herders’ livelihoods were highly affected as the main buyers of raw materials are Chinese traders. The price of cashmere dropped down, and the crop production sector faced shortages of inputs.
Considering the situation, the National Association of Mongolian Agricultural Cooperatives (NAMAC), the national implementing agency of the Asia-Pacific Farmers’ Program in Mongolia, implemented various activities to help its small farmers.
Through the initiative of the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light industry, the national committee was established to help SMEs and small farmers with the challenges brought by COVID-19. A representative from NAMAC is part of this committee and had a dialogue with stakeholders in order to understand their situation and provide an appropriate response to their situation.
Moreover, NAMAC launched a campaign on raising awareness of COVID-19 through social media. NAMAC also conducted a meeting with its leaders and shared information to them about the Government measures against COVID-19. During the campaign, the staff of NAMAC’s branch in Sukhbaatar province sewed face masks using their own funds for the purchase of materials and donated these to the provincial emergency commission.
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