Mongolia has successfully cultivated and harvested white rice for the first time. As a result of 10 years of efforts, a private company has harvested 10 tonnes of white rice in a two-hectare field in the southwestern province of Bayankhongor this year.

“The amount of rice harvested may seem small. However, the tireless effort has proven that it is possible to cultivate rice in Mongolia,” reported Z.Mendsaikhan, Minister of Food and Agriculture on Tuesday.

Mongolia has a harsh continental climate, and the amount of rainfall during the warm season has decreased significantly in recent years due to climate change.

Mongolia’s white rice demand depends 100 percent on imports. The north Asian country consumes an average of 50,000 tons of white rice a year, about 50 percent of which is imported from Vietnam.