LANDMARK DAY FOR MONGOLIAN WOOL INDUSTRY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NEW ZEALAND

MEDIA STATEMENT

Tuesday 2 September 2025

For Immediate Release

LANDMARK DAY FOR MONGOLIAN WOOL INDUSTRY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NEW ZEALAND

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia – Five thousand young Mongolian herders will receive world-class shearing and wool management training from New Zealand experts over the next six years to 2031.

Over the same six years from next summer, 200 out of Mongolia’s 330 soums (administrative districts) will be equipped with world-class New Zealand shearing equipment for use by their local shearers and herders.

Both developments are planned under a landmark Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Mongolian Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry and New Zealand’s Share Mongolia signed at the Government Palace in Ulaanbaatar today.

The document was signed by Policy шmplementation department director of Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry, Mr Ts. Bolorchuluun, and Mr Paul Brough, the founder and chairman of Share Mongolia.

It was witnessed by the Speaker of New Zealand’s House of Representatives, Gerry Brownlee, and the Speaker of Mongolia’s State Great Khural, Mr. Dashzeveg Amarbayasgalan, at a ceremony attended by Members of Parliament’s, including Mr. M. Gankhulug, Mrs. М. Mandkhai from across the political spectrum ad senior officials from both countries.

Fittingly, the ceremony was held before Mongolia’s Nine White Banners, the symbols of the power, independence and unity of the Mongolian state.

Share Mongolia was founded in 2019 by Mr Brough and Ms Delgermaa Shagdarsuren, a Mongolian women business entrepreneur. Since then, it has run 30 training courses in 19 soums for over 500 young herders.
 

Combined with New Zealand shearing technology, Share Mongolia’s training courses have enabled Mongolian shearers to improve their productivity approximately ten-fold.

Exchanges have also been arranged for shearers in each country to visit the other, including the first Mongolian participants at the annual shearing world champs, the Golden Shears in Masterton, New Zealand back in 2023. The next group of Mongolian shearers are due to arrive in New Zealand this southern summer. Under today’s MOU, Share Mongolia shall provide training for a total of 5,000 Mongolian people in sheep shearing in accordance with international standards.

Share Mongolia shall also supply from New Zealand and install to Mongolia a total of 200 grinders, 1,000 hand machines, 10,000 combs, 50,000 blades, 200 sheep washers, and 200 wool-press machines that meet international standards. Share Mongolia will also be required to establish an official equipment maintenance centre in Mongolia.

Under the MOU, the Ministry shall arrange and facilitate the necessary funding as appropriate from sources such as the Government of Mongolia, international organizations, non-governmental organizations and the private sector.

Both sides will work together to organize, fund and facilitate the exchange of experience, cooperation, and cooperation of Mongolian livestock associations with New Zealand livestock associations, with a 30 banking and 3 ministry officials included Mongolian delegation due to arrive in New Zealand this month.

The impetus for the MOU came from Mongolia’s first annual shearing championships held in June, organized by Share Mongolia and attended by the President of Mongolia, Mr. Ukhnaa Khürelsükh, under his “White Gold” program initiative.

Mongolian Minister of Food and Agriculture, Light industry Mr. Jadamba Enkhbayar then requested a proposal to expand not just Share Mongolia’s training programs nationwide but to equip its soums with New Zealand shearing technology.

Mr Brough said Share Mongolia has been a personal passion that had proven itself over several years.  “Now is the time to expand Share Mongolia so that 5000 young Mongolian shearers can improve their productivity tenfold and establish their own shearing and shearing-training businesses as Mongolia becomes self-sufficient in both by 2031,” Mr Brough said.

Ms Delgermaa also said Share Mongolia was a personal passion of hers but now it was time for all Mongolian herding communities to benefit.

“The productivity gains from applying New Zealand talent and technology in Mongolia have exceeded everyone’s wildest expectations and are needed to bring President Khürelsükh’s ‘White gold’ vision to reality,” Ms Delgermaa.

“The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry have worked hard with Share Mongolia so that we can continue and expand Share Mongolia from the summer of 2026 and we are now working as fast as possible to get all the final details tied down,” she said.

Discussions to bring the MOU to life in time for the 2026 season are being held from tomorrow in Ulaanbaatar.