AKIPRESS.COM - 7,000 hectares of fruits and berries are growing in Mongolia, but it only accounts for 3% of domestic needs, the UB Post reports.

"97% of the fruits available is imported and $50 million to $60 million are spent annually," Mongolian National Association of Fruits and Berries said.

Last year, the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Light Industry emphasized that over 40,000 tons of fruits and berries were imported. About 40 domestic factories and workshops harvest 2,000 to 5,000 tons of fruits and berries annually, and about 2,500 tons are sold manually.

Domestically grown fruits and berries are of higher quality than imported products, so the price is higher. The Mongolian National Association of Fruits and Berries points out that this has a negative impact on sales, and that there are few opportunities for factories to work at full capacity.

Sea buckthorn accounts for more than 90% of domestically produced fruits and berries. Mongolia ranks third in the world in terms of natural sea buckthorn resources. Sea buckthorn oil and concentrated juice have been exported in small quantities.

"Mongolian sea buckthorn and blueberries are more nutritious than imported ones because they grow in the wild. Therefore, countries such as China, Japan, and South Korea buy them. The main export issues are customs clearance and shipping. Although there is little supervision over imported fruits and berries, many documents are required for exporting them," Eco-Erdene LLC reported.