Most areas in North Korea are facing a
shortage in produce such as cabbages, radishes, and other vegetables due to the
extreme lack of rainfall this year, causing collective farms around Pyongyang
and some fields near the West Sea to be plowed over, according to a local source.
“In the area surrounding Pyongyang, the
situation is so bad that there’s almost nothing to use
for kimjang [the making of kimchi],” the source based
in North Hamgyung Province told the Daily NK on Tuesday. “Orders have been handed down, requiring North Hamgyung to take
responsibility for supplying kimjang vegetables for the people of Pyongyang.”
The source said, “The
severe drought that began early this year and damages from disease and insects
have ruined spring produce and also supplies for winter kimjang.” He added, “The cabinet [the executive
branch of the state largely responsible for economic policies] has ordered farms
in areas like Onsong and Kyungwon counties in North Hamgyung, where the supply
was relatively okay, to send the cabbages and radishes directly to Pyongyang.”
This has led to a mass cancellation of
vegetable supplies scheduled to be handed out to military bases and state
factories and the ensuing jump in cabbage and radish prices by 500 KPW [0.06 USD as of November 5th] in the
market.
Cabbages used to be 1,200-1,500 KPW [0.15-0.19 USD] per
kilogram just until late last month, but that has recently jumped to 2,000 KPW [0.25 USD],
according to the source. For an average five-member household kimjang, 500 kg
of cabbages and 200 kg of radishes are needed, but this year with the pay-up to
Pyongyang on top of an already short supply, it is unlikely most families will
get even half of their regular stock.
In North Hamgyung Province, most families
begin kimjang on the 5th of this month, so household handouts need to be
concluded before that date, but this is hardly the case with the sudden order
from Pyongyang. Also, kimjang doesn’t begin in the
capital until the latter half of this month, and vegetables are sitting in the
fields because the power shortage has prevented special transportation trains
from being mobilized.
“The drought that lasted from spring
through all summer has caused trouble for proper sowing, and insects such as
plant lice have brought on a lot of damage,” the source
explained. “The root cause of the ruined produce is the
drought that created a shortage in hydroelectric power and the following
disruption in water pump operations.”
After residents in the area heard about the
order from Pyongyang, some said, “We thought we would
be okay compared to other regions but now we get this from out of nowhere,” according to the source. Others have said, “They take everything and now they even take our cabbages and
radishes? Are only people in Pyongyang considered humans?” he added.
This is the second time since 2007 that the
North has ordered an emergency supply for vegetables in Pyongyang. During the
first incident, the supply train carrying all the kimjang vegetables from North
Hamgyung Province’s numerous counties faced a delay due to
a shortage in power and resulted in thousands of tons of vegetables rotting.
In the North, cabbages for kimjang are
usually planted in early August and harvested late October or early November.
The rainfall during this period is crucial in determining the yield of the
year. According to weather reports published by South Korea’s meteorological service, North Korea saw 89.6㎜ of rain in August, which falls short of the average 199.2㎜. Especially, areas in South Pyongan and South Hwanghae Provinces
experienced less than 30 percent of their average rainfall. September and
October were also hit by severe dry spells with rain sprinkling only 40-50
percent of the annual average.
