Since 2021, when Kim Jong Un ordered a shift in grain production to address food shortages, North Korea has been promoting wheat and barley cultivation over corn. Despite this being official policy from the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, farmers have shown little enthusiasm due to the manual labor required for seed sorting, lower yields, and concerns about soil acidification.
Daily NK recently analyzed satellite imagery to examine North Korea’s spring wheat and barley cultivation across three major agricultural regions: Turusom island in Pyongyang, Kaechon in South Pyongan province, and Sariwon in North Hwanghae province. The analysis revealed an average 22.3% increase in acreage dedicated to these crops compared to last year.
Turus Island: Prime Agricultural Land
Turu Island, which was formed by sediment in Pyongyang’s Taedong River, features exceptionally fertile soil ideal for agriculture. Similar to Seoul’s Yeouido, this sediment-formed island primarily supplies vegetables to Pyongyang through its collective farm greenhouses.
Recent images from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2B and 2C satellites show light green rectangular fields throughout the island where spring wheat and barley are thriving. These standardized rectangular patterns clearly indicate cultivated crops rather than wild vegetation. Analysis of satellite images taken on the same day in both years shows that wheat and barley acreage on Turu Island increased by 10.5 hectares (26.9%), growing from 39.1 hectares in 2024 to 49.6 hectares this spring.
Growth in Other Regions
In Kaechon’s Yongjin neighborhood (South Pyongan province), wheat and barley cultivation increased by 6.9 hectares (12%), from 57.4 hectares to 64.3 hectares. The area is intersected by National Road 65 and the Manpo railway line connecting Sunchon and Manpo.
Around Chongbang village in Sariwon (North Hwanghae province), cultivation expanded by 24.1 hectares (27%), from 89.3 hectares to 113.4 hectares.
Regional Disparities and Farmer Concerns
While these three sample areas showed significant increases totaling 41.5 hectares (22.3%), conditions vary across the country. According to Radio Free Asia (RFA), wheat and barley farming in northern regions like Ryanggang province has suffered from cold weather damage and winter droughts.
(Table) Spring Wheat and Barley Cultivation in N. Korea by Sample Analysis
Kim Jong Un emphasized wheat and barley farming in his September 2021 policy speech to the Supreme People’s Assembly, directing efforts toward improving seeds and doubling acreage. As a result, North Korea has rapidly replaced corn with wheat and barley in many fields. However, according to RFA, many North Koreans remain skeptical, complaining they are “planting barley and corn because the leader ordered it as he called for an ‘enlightened food culture,'” while doubting they will achieve higher yields than with traditional corn cultivation.
