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farming remains one of the regime’s most persistent vulnerabilities, with chronic food insecurity rooted in poor soil, outdated infrastructure, ideological constraints on agricultural reform, and the ongoing tension between collective farming and the individual responsibility system.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
N. Koreans grow tired of potato-heavy diet
While the summer harvest brings relief from wondering where the next meal will come from, many North Koreans have grown tired of eating mostly...
N. Korean rice prices hold at record highs as food shortages...
North Korean rice prices, which broke through 10,000 won per kilogram for the first time in early June, are holding steady at around 12,000...
N. Korean rice prices stabilize at record highs
North Korean rice prices have settled around 12,000 won per kilogram after breaking the 10,000 won barrier for the first time on record. Meanwhile,...
N. Korean logistics officials scramble to feed workers
With state-sponsored construction projects underway in Sinuiju city and Uiju and Yomju counties in North Pyongan province, officials responsible for feeding construction workers are...
N. Korean workers turn to day labor for quick cash
Day labor markets have boomed across North Korea as farming season drives up demand for workers at collective farms and various agency support farms.
A...
(Interview) Lee Jae-myung’s election raises hope for inter-Korean military agreement
A liberal president’s election in South Korea appears to have kindled a conciliatory mood among North Korean officials, as well as hope for improved...
N. Korea sends people to labor camps during rice-planting travel ban
North Korean authorities imposed strict travel controls during last month's rice-planting mobilization, with numerous people sent to labor camps after being caught traveling without...
Grain prices soar in N. Korea as won-dollar rate crosses 24,000
North Korean market prices are soaring again, with both grain prices and foreign exchange rates hitting record highs and driving continued volatility.
According to Daily...
N. Korea to evaluate farm managers based on crop production results
North Korea is planning to evaluate farm managers based on how well their operations perform as part of an effort to boost agricultural production.
"Party...
Reality check: N. Korea’s agricultural mechanization vs. rising hand tool costs
Despite North Korea's repeated emphasis on agricultural mechanization, farmers continue to depend on basic hand tools like shovels, hoes, pickaxes and sickles. With rice...
