North Korean farms, having completed the harvest, are rushing to finish grass compost production before winter. Farmers are frustrated at being forced to continue making organic fertilizer despite state claims of increased chemical fertilizer production.
According to a Daily NK source in South Hwanghae province recently, farmers in Kangryong county are currently turning over their final batches of grass compost, which will ferment over winter.
Grass compost is made by mixing summer-cut grass with human and animal waste, food scraps, and crop residue in household pit holes.
Each farmer must produce over two tons of grass compost annually. Despite state propaganda touting “breakthrough changes” in fertilizer production, farmers complain about repeating this laborious process yearly.
“It’s just gathering grass seeds from mountains and fields to scatter on farmland,” the source said. “Farmers keep good compost for their private gardens and give poorly decomposed grass bundles to cooperative farms. They’re just going through the motions.”
The source added that farmers question why they must continue this “tedious work” that provides no agricultural benefit, while farm managers turn a blind eye.
North Korean state-run media claims the Namhung Youth Chemical Complex and Hungnam Fertilizer Complex have increased production 15-fold. Officials say North Korea no longer needs to import fertilizer and can now farm worry-free with domestically produced chemicals.
The Namhung Youth Chemical Complex in South Pyongan province and Hungnam Fertilizer Complex in South Hamgyong province are North Korea’s two largest fertilizer production facilities, frequently showcased in state media as symbols of the country’s chemical industry and agricultural self-reliance.
However, farmers remain skeptical as they’re still required to produce grass compost annually. “Farmers call it nonsense,” the source said. “They hope this cycle of gathering tough grass and making compost will finally end, and the propaganda will become reality.”
Daily NK works with a network of sources in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. For security reasons, their identities remain anonymous.
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