North Korea farming remains one of the regime’s most persistent vulnerabilities, with chronic food insecurity rooted in poor soil, outdated infrastructure, ideological constraints on agricultural reform, and the ongoing tension between collective farming and the individual responsibility system. Daily NK covers North Korea farming through reports on harvest conditions, seasonal mobilizations, fertilizer and equipment shortages, agricultural policy directives from Pyongyang, and the ground-level reality facing farmers across the country’s provinces. Our in-country sources provide some of the most detailed and timely reporting on North Korea’s agricultural situation available in English.
Tag: farming
Hunger drives North Korean children to raid state orchards
Hunger is driving teenagers in Kwail county, South Hwanghae province, to sneak into state orchards this summer. They pick peaches and plums to eat...
North Korea pushes fourth weeding round, straining mobilized workers
North Korean authorities are demanding a fourth round of rural weeding this year, up from the usual three, mobilizing workplaces, neighborhood units and students...
North Korea shifts China ventures toward learning
North Korea-China joint ventures are shifting in focus, with Pyongyang moving beyond simply attracting Chinese capital and equipment to absorb Chinese production methods and...
North Korea offers custom deals to attract China
Chinese investors visiting North Korea are increasingly favoring a phased approach to their investments. They weigh profitability at each stage before committing more capital....
Family of four found dead in North Korea’s Sakju county amid...
A family of four was found dead in Sakju county, North Pyongan province, in 2026, after reportedly struggling for some time with severe poverty,...
Stricter border controls leave Hyesan foragers with nowhere to sell their...
Tightened border controls along North Korea's frontier with China have effectively shut down the mushroom smuggling trade in Ryanggang province in 2026, cutting off...
North Korea grain prices dip from record highs but remain near...
Grain prices in North Korean markets fell slightly in the third week of June 2026 after hitting all-time highs earlier in the month, as...
North Korean households squeezed by human waste quotas as state touts...
Neighborhood watch units in parts of North Korea have ordered each household to submit 50 kilograms of dried human waste as fertilizer by mid-July...
North Korea demands detailed rice-planting reports from Hwanghae farms
North Korea's central authorities ordered South and North Hwanghae provinces, the country's leading rice-growing region, on June 9, 2026, to compile detailed rice-transplanting reports...
North Korea’s grain stores look more stable, but a good harvest...
North Korea's state-run grain stores appear to be operating more reliably than in previous years, but experts say the improvement reflects last year's bumper...
