Prime Minister J.Erdenebat, Head of the Cabinet Secretariat of Mongolia J.Munkhbat, and Minister of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry P.Sergelen received representatives of agricultural sector unions and non-governmental organizations last Thursday to discuss the issues the agriculture sector is facing and to hear their suggestions for solutions. Noting that agricultural sector unions, NGOs, and producers should cooperate with the state, providing support to the economy, Prime Minister J.Erdenenbat said that he has ordered state-run organizations to buy domestically produced goods and not imported items. He also mentioned that it Thursday's meeting was one of a series of meetings with representatives of the agricultural sector that will take place, and that he will hold separate meetings in the future with representatives of sub-sectors of the agricultural industry. Meat sector issues The authorities of the Mongolian Meat Federation stated that the government should trust professional operators in the meat industry and allow them to execute state orders concerning their sector. They complained that the government constantly talks about increasing exports in the meat sector, however, productive steps have been poorly carried out. The representatives asked the Cabinet to provide meat export with the same support it provides to the mining sector. In order to improve meat export, the law on livestock health must be adopted urgently, stressed Vice President of the Meat Federation M.Tumurbaatar. He noted that the livestock meat quality and health security issue was first raised when businesses in the meat sector first began efforts to cooperate with Russia and China on meat export. Forestry sector issues Representatives of the forestry sector proposed establishing integrated state policy for the forestry sector. Noting that the since the Forest Authority was dissolved, forestry sector affairs have been affiliated with different state institutions with changes in structure being made under each new Cabinet. They also reminded the government authorities that the nation's forests  are in danger due to irresponsible mining, and asked the state to implement long-term forest management policy and to work closely with professional forestry organizations. Construction sector issues: Representatives of the construction material maker's union asked Cabinet to improve the links between the businesses in the sector. Construction material production is one of the three pillars of the construction industry. As a result, the sectors have cooperated consistently in recent years. Producers have made wool insulation material and exported it to Japan. In addition, research is being done on recycling plastic and wood to create new products, the representatives  highlighted. Noting that construction material production is centered in Ulaanbaatar, they underlined the significance of opening construction material factories in provinces in order to develop the construction sector in rural areas. Concluding the meeting, Prime Minister J.Erdenenat thanked the attendees for sharing their views on current issues, and said that he will hold similar meetings no less than two times a year in order to consult with and determine directions for the future development of small and medium-sized enterprises. He also said that the meetings will help develop the action plan of the cabinet. Stating that the domestic producers should continue developing in the future and export their products overseas, J.Erdenebat asked them to work hard to achieve success and to approach the government for assistance.