The Milk Production and Sustainable Development forum, aimed at ensuring sustainable production for the nation’s dairy sector, was held last Tuesday. The forum’s participants discussed a broad scope of issues concerning policy for supporting consistent milk production and supply, the industry’s future goals, animal fodder, veterinary health services, breeding issues, and the possibility of developing dairy cattle farm clusters. Food and Agriculture Minister R.Burmaa presented opening remarks at the forum and said, “In the Law on Food, Mongolia defined the production of milk and dairy products as strategic, and the state supports its production by providing investments. From 2012 to 2012, the government issued 38.4 billion MNT to 47 entities through loans to expand their operations, and 1.6 billion MNT in loans to 74 entities to establish factory farms engaged in milk production. We are adhering to policy to increase the nation’s milk and dairy product consumption. The government is working toward changing 60 percent of the food being provided to students under the Student Lunch Program, and we will provide bonuses to milk factories.” Last year, there was a total of 61,900 dairy cows in Mongolia. A total of 70.3 million liters of milk were processed for 52.5 billion MNT in milk and dairy products. The forum was jointly organized by World Bank Group, Global Communities, the Mongolian Food Industry Association, Mongolian Cattle Breeders Association, Suu LLC, APU, TESO Group, and Nuudelchin Agro Farm LLC. It was attended by over 150 representatives from the Food and Agriculture Ministry, international and domestic NGOs, research and training institutions, and milk producers.