The Food and Agriculture Organization has again pointed to the dire state of North Korean agriculture, noting in its latest ‘Crop Prospects and Food Situation’ report that the North is one of 35 countries in the world, six in Asia, suffering ‘widespread lack of access to food’ and facing negative prospects for the future despite an excellent harvest outlook for the broader East Asian region.
“Compared to the report published last June, North Korea’s food situation worsened,” the report notes, before adding, “The harvest of the 2012 early season crops was poor. A recent dry spell and floods are expected to affect the main season food production. In addition economic constraints and lack of agricultural inputs continue to lead to inadequate food supplies.”
Conversely, while conceding that poor summer weather might affect end results, “In Far East Asia, the latest projections point to an aggregate crop harvest of approximately 376.5 million tons (including milled rice), 5.8 million tones or some 1.6% higher than last year’s record level.”
The report adds that North Korea had obtained 43,000 tons of external food aid as of the end of August, and imported 388,000 tons of grain. Notably, the 43,000 tons was given predominantly via WFP by Brazil and Sweden (corn) and Australia (wheat).
At the same time, the authorities have imported rice from China and corn from Ukraine, Argentina and the EU.
