Synopsis
As of February 3, 2025, around 80 percent of Mongolia's territory is covered in snow, according to the National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring. This seasonal phenomenon affects livestock availability and food supply in urban areas, particularly in the capital, Ulan Bator.Key Takeaways
- 80% of Mongolia's territory covered in snow.
- Snow depths reach 60 cm.
- Last winter's dzud resulted in massive livestock loss.
- Government plans to stockpile 10,000 tonnes of meat.
- Urban meat prices may rise during spring.
Ulan Bator, Feb 3 (NationPress) Roughly 80 percent of Mongolia's landscape is currently covered in snow, as reported by the National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring on Monday.
According to a statement released by the weather monitoring agency, "As of January 31, around 80 percent of the nation's entire territory has been blanketed with snow reaching depths of up to 60 cm."
Mongolia is well-known for its severe winters, heavily influenced by the Siberian high-pressure system.
Last winter, the country endured one of its most intense cold spells in decades, with the highest recorded snowfall since 1975. Approximately 90 percent of the region was covered in snow up to 100 cm deep, which led to a major dzud, a natural calamity unique to Mongolia, where extreme cold and heavy snowfall hinder livestock from accessing food, resulting in mass animal deaths.
The harsh dzud from last winter caused the loss of millions of livestock, significantly impacting the livelihoods of herders and the rural economy, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
The term dzud describes a disastrous winter in which livestock die due to frozen or snow-laden grazing fields, jeopardizing the existence of nomadic herders.
Recently, the Mongolian government announced plans to stockpile at least 10,000 tonnes of livestock meat to maintain a consistent supply for residents in the national capital during the spring of 2025.
Officials have been designated to manage the supply, distribution, sales, quality, and safety of the reserved meat, according to a statement issued by the government's press office last Wednesday.
During the challenging spring months, as nomadic livestock become leaner and herders have fewer animals to sell, meat prices in urban areas tend to rise, potentially leading to shortages.
Ulan Bator houses nearly half of Mongolia's 3.5 million residents, and livestock meat is the primary food source for the Mongolian population.
As one of the last remaining nomadic nations globally, Mongolia had 57.6 million livestock by the end of 2024, according to the National Statistics Office.
