Rice prices in North Korea\u2019s North Hamkyung
\nand Yangkang Provinces have dropped despite general stability in market prices
\naround the country. This is largely due to an influx of rice from Russia, offsetting regular price increases that come during the spring when grains fall
\nshort in supply.<\/p>\n
\u201cRice Public demand for rice usually surges in \u201cShips He added that the North has been Fluctuations in rice prices have not yet Both sources blamed power shortages for the Rice prices in North Korea\u2019s North Hamkyung and Yangkang Provinces have dropped despite general stability in market prices around the country. This is largely due to an influx of rice from Russia, offsetting regular price increases that come during the spring when grains fall short in supply. \u201cRice sold for about 5,000 KPW [0.63 USD] […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":122,"featured_media":30519,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wikipediapreview_detectlinks":true,"footnotes":""},"categories":[645],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30517","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-economy"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nsold for about 5,000 KPW [0.63 USD] per kg in Onsong County at the beginning of
\nMarch, but recently that has dipped to about 4,200 KPW [0.53 USD],\u201d a source in North
\nHamkyung Province told Daily NK on Wednesday. A source in Yangkang province confirmed
\na similar trend, saying, \u201cThe price of rice has been continually dropping in
\nHyesan Market, recently falling to the 4,000 KPW [0.5 USD] mark.\u201d<\/span> <\/p>\n
\nApril, and expectations were the cost would jump due to a clampdown on border
\nmovements this month that would block smuggled supplies. However, the supply
\nfrom Russia has reversed these projections, multiple sources confirmed.<\/span> <\/p>\n
\nthat can hold over 10,000 tons are carrying in wheat or rice from Russia
\nthrough the harbors of Chongjin and Rasun,\u201d the North Hamkyung source said. \u201cThese
\ngrains go to the military first, but then are flowing into the markets through
\nback channels.\u201d<\/span> <\/p>\n
\nemphasizing relations with Russia more than with China this year, spurring a surge in trade as well as the dispatch of more workers to Russia to pull in foreign currency. This same source also reported multiple sightings –not only by him but but a host of residents–of shipments of oil and grains coming into the North from Russia.<\/span> <\/p>\n
\nbeen confirmed in provinces other than the two cited above. Markets in Pyongyang
\nand North Pyongan Province\u2019s Sinuiju have held rice prices at the 5,000
\nKPW [0.63 USD] level as of mid-April, according to research by Daily NK. This is likely
\ndue to the added time it takes to transport rice to the inner areas of the
\ncountry from the borders.<\/span> <\/p>\n
\ndelay, exacerbated by state crackdowns preventing traveling peddlers selling goods out of their trucks from entering the markets to do business. While this has contributed to the sluggish supply inland in the very
\nshort-term, prices are expected to level out soon. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"