Ulaanbaatar, January 14, 2026 /MONTSAME/. The “Milk Immunity” program will be implemented in stages, and this year, national producers will collaborate to provide milk to 189,600 pupils in Grades 1–5 of general education schools in the capital city. The program aims to support the growth and development of schoolchildren in Ulaanbaatar.

The Governor of the Capital City and the Mayor of Ulaanbaatar Nyambaatar Khishgee and relevant officials visited the Harumafuji Milk Farm and exchanged views on the implementation of the milk program. Mayor Nyambaatar stated, “Japan has had a school milk program since 1959, the Republic of Korea since 1981, and China since 2005. In Mongolia, the New Mongolia Harumafuji General Education School has been implementing a milk program for two years. Before implementation of the program, we will study baseline indicators of children’s health, growth, and development. From next year, the program will be further improved and organized with environmentally friendly packaging.”

Harumafuji Byambadorj Davaanyam said, “To assess the changes resulting from the implementation of the milk program at our school, we conducted comparative studies, obtaining permission/ consent from teachers, staff members, their children, and parents. A comparison of tests conducted in autumn and spring showed that regular milk consumption helps maintain appropriate levels of calcium and vitamin D. It has also had a very positive effect on children’s growth. In addition, the incidence of colds and flu among students and the risk of complications have significantly decreased. School doctors attribute this to the milk program and physical education. At our farm, milk is processed using heat treatment, making it suitable for consumption even by children with lactose intolerance.”

Director of the National Center for Public Health Battur Lkhagvaa said, “A national nutrition survey is conducted every five years. According to the survey conducted in 2023, only 15 percent of participating children had adequate levels of vitamin D, while the rest were deficient. In addition to Mongolia’s harsh climate, children are unable to obtain sufficient vitamin D from their diet. In many countries with cold and cool climates like ours, milk is fortified with vitamin D. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium contained in milk. Baseline health indicators of students will be assessed, and after the program has been implemented for a certain period, a study will be conducted to evaluate its outcomes.”

For the 2026–2027 academic year, it is planned to include 430,000 students in Grades 1–12 of general education schools in Ulaanbaatar in the milk program.