Mongolia's first gelatin plant opens in Darkhan

Mongolia's first gelatin plant, Darkhan Minj's Mon Gelat, opened in the city of Darkhan on November 3 under the White Gold national movement launched by the President of Mongolia.

President U. Khurelsukh attended the opening, along with Minister of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry Ts. Iderbat, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Development J. Enkhbayar, members of parliament Ch. Undram and B. Javkhlan, Darkhan-Uul province officials, and representatives of foreign and domestic partners.

Turning waste into value

The plant can produce 720 tonnes of gelatin and 300 tonnes of amino acid fertilizer a year. It will reprocess by-products that tanneries cannot use, including substandard hides, lime fleshings, solid waste from tanned leather and trimmings, into food-grade and industrial gelatin and organic amino acid fertilizer. According to Ergelt.mn, the plant can process 300,000 cattle hides a year.

Investment and jobs

Darkhan Minj invested a total of 20 billion tugrik: 11.9 billion came from a concessional loan under the White Gold movement and 8.1 billion from the company's own funds. The company expects annual sales of 15 billion tugrik from gelatin and 4 billion tugrik from fertilizer, and the plant will create 50 to 80 permanent and temporary jobs.

Darkhan Minj has operated in Darkhan-Uul province since 1992. It is one of the country's major domestic manufacturers, processing sheep, goat and cattle hides and making sheepskin and leather clothing and footwear.

Sources: MNB, Office of the President of Mongolia, Montsame, Ergelt.mn