North Korean crop production up by 7%

Despite troubling floods that hit the northeastern part of North Korea in August and September, North Korea's crop production in 2016 has seen a seven percent rise according to Seoul. Total production in the country totalled around 4.8 million tons a report from the government’s Rural Development Administration (RDA) said, roughly 310 thousand tons more than last year.

“Out of 4.81 million tons of this year’s production, rice was 2.22 million; corn was 1.7 million, potatoes 550 thousand, cereals 170 thousand, and 170 thousand tons of beans and mixed grains,” they estimate.

The report covers each individual crop and its corresponding growth in the country over the previous year. According to the report corn enjoyed a four percent growth up by 60 thousand tons, and potatoes a ten percent rise up by 50 thousand tons after favorable rainfall and weather.

Despite this growth, the report said, production is still short of the 690 thousand tons that the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Program say would be adequate to meet the needs of the North Korean population.

source: nknews.org