From the Alps to the steppes

From Switzerland to Mongolia: the story of a successful partnership

Kenan Kocer, Export Sales Manager

Mongolia: a land of wide-open spaces and rich resources

With its seemingly endless steppes, the Altai Mountains and the arid landscapes of the Gobi Desert, Mongolia is a country that impresses first and foremost through its sheer scale. Covering almost 1.56 million km², it is around 40 times the size of Switzerland, yet has a population of only about 3.6 million.

With its wealth of mineral resources and vast grazing land, Mongolia has considerable assets on which to build its future development. The steppes are more than one of the country’s defining symbols: they remain at the heart of an economy and a way of life deeply rooted in Mongolia’s identity.

Livestock farming at the heart of Mongolian agriculture

In Mongolia, agriculture is shaped above all by the rhythm of its herds. In a country where grazing land extends across vast areas, extensive livestock farming remains the backbone of the agricultural sector and is still closely intertwined with the culture and way of life of rural communities.

In 2026, Mongolia has around 70 million livestock, including approximately 27 million goats, 26 million sheep, 5 million cattle, 4.5 million horses and almost 500,000 camels.

However, extreme weather events known as dzuds – involving combinations of drought, extreme cold, snow and restricted access to grazing – can cause massive livestock losses. The 2024 dzud resulted in the deaths of more than 7 million animals.

In 2024, milk production stood at around 113.6 million litres, although the country’s modern dairy sector is still developing.

Mongolia already has the livestock, the land and a long tradition of animal husbandry. Against this background, genetic improvement, selective breeding, herd management and access to better husbandry practices offer considerable scope to gradually turn the potential of the country’s livestock into greater productivity and resilience.

Swissgenetics: a trusted name in cattle genetics in Mongolia

Since its partnership with Mongolia began in 2019, Swissgenetics has been supporting Mongolian breeders in developing and improving their herds. After several years of working in the country and building partnerships, this latest visit provided an opportunity to see first-hand the progress achieved on farms and the growing confidence among breeders in Swiss genetics.

The Braunvieh breed plays an important role in this development. In the Batsümber district, Mongolia’s main Braunvieh dairy region, there are now around 8,000 dairy cows, with total annual milk production estimated at 35 million litres. Across the farms we visited, we were particularly pleased to see daughters of Swissgenetics sires such as SIMBABOY, BENISSIMO and COLUMBUS – clear evidence of the impact of these genetics in local herds.

During the tour, we were also accompanied by insemination technicians from the Osemene cooperative, who carry out inseminations throughout the region. Breeders and technicians alike expressed their satisfaction with the results achieved using Swissgenetics genetics, particularly the animals’ adaptability to Mongolia’s demanding climatic and farming conditions.

The Governor of Batsümber district also attaches great importance to the development of local livestock farming. Support schemes are in place to help breeders gain access to insemination services. During our meeting, he highlighted the quality of Swissgenetics semen and the positive results achieved in the region over recent years.

This progress is also opening the door to new projects. There remains considerable demand for genetics and herd improvement, while the district continues to pursue its economic development ambitions, including plans for a new dairy processing plant. This could mark another important step in strengthening the local dairy sector and create further opportunities for the partnership.

The success of this collaboration also owes much to the quality of our business partner in Mongolia. With extensive experience in the sector and excellent relationships with breeders and local stakeholders, Ms Alimaa USNIKA plays an essential role in developing Swissgenetics’ presence in the country. Her commitment, local knowledge and motivation help ensure that Swiss genetics meet the needs of Mongolian breeders. Her recent visit to Switzerland is another sign of the shared commitment to further strengthening the exchange and collaboration between Swissgenetics and its Mongolian partners.

SHIM AGRO FARM: a successful model from farm to city

One of the best examples of the success of this partnership – and of the trust that has developed between Mongolian breeders and Swissgenetics over the years – is undoubtedly SHIM AGRO FARM. Located around 100 kilometres east of Ulaanbaatar, the farm has a herd of almost 300 Brown Swiss cattle and now uses Swissgenetics genetics exclusively. The strategy developed over recent years is based on three pillars: high-quality genetics, rigorous herd management and carefully managed nutrition.

The farm covers 700 hectares, where crops including barley, wheat, oats and maize are grown. In a country where feeding livestock represents a major challenge for farms, producing a large proportion of feed requirements on farm is a considerable advantage. The cattle also have access to 150 hectares of pasture.

With around 100 dairy cows, SHIM AGRO FARM produced almost 700,000 litres of milk in 2025. But the strength and originality of the model extend well beyond milk production. The milk is processed into a range of dairy products – including milk, yoghurt and cream – and then sold through two farm-owned coffee shops in the centre of Ulaanbaatar.

The concept has proved highly successful, both with customers enjoying the products on site and with those buying them to take away: “From 7 o’clock in the morning, a queue forms outside our shops. More and more people are attracted by the concept of fresh products coming directly from the farm. Brown Swiss was the right choice for us. We have been using Swissgenetics semen for more than seven years and are very satisfied with the quality of our animals and the results we have achieved. We hope to continue developing our partnership,” explains owner Mr Munkhtsolmon.

From primary production and processing through to direct sales to the consumer, SHIM AGRO FARM is an excellent example of how a long-term vision, combined with well-suited genetics and sound management, can create a successful agricultural business model in a market where consumers are placing increasing importance on quality, freshness and product provenance.

Building the future together

Swissgenetics continues to expand its presence around the world, supported by strong, long-term partnerships. Mongolia is a strong example of this development, with tangible results achieved over the years and a level of trust that continues to grow.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to our local partner, the breeders and all the technicians we met during this visit for their warm welcome, their time and the trust they place in us. Their commitment and experience are essential to the success of this collaboration.

Swissgenetics intends to continue working alongside Mongolian breeders, meeting tomorrow’s challenges together and making a lasting contribution to the development of livestock farming in Mongolia – providing the best possible genetics to build the herds of tomorrow.