While North Korea is undergoing a food shortage crisis, state media is asking farmers to prepare for the rice-planting season in a "watertight" manner on Tuesday. The instruction was published in an article titled "Let's prepare for rice-planting in a watertight (manner)" on the front page of Rodong Sinmun, the North Korea's main newspaper, along with six other farming-related articles.
The reports emphasize the importance of technology in improving agricultural efficiency and the development of support measures by government ministries in response to Kim Jong-un's order to boost state support for farming.
North Korea's No. 1 strategic aim among its 12 major economic targets for this year is increasing grain output, according to the country's party conference last year. In February, Kim restated this goal and asked all farms around the country to focus on increasing grain production and meeting their goals for this year ‘without fail.’
The rice-planting season in North Korea usually concludes in mid-June, but this year it has been pushed back to the end of May due to projections of extreme summer weather, as reported by Rodong Sinmun earlier this week.
North Korea's food situation has been a matter of concern for many years, and the outbreak and international sanctions have only worsened the situation. The country's agricultural sector has long been plagued by inefficiencies and lack of investment, resulting in chronic food shortages. Pyongyang has made some efforts to address the issue in recent years, but progress has been slow.
The emphasis on technology and government support in recent reports suggests that North Korea is trying to modernize its agricultural sector and increase productivity. However, it remains to be seen whether these efforts will be sufficient to address the country's food shortages in the long term.
Overall, the latest reports from North Korea's state media indicate that the country is taking steps to increase grain output and improve its agricultural sector. Whether these efforts will lead to a significant improvement or not, the country's food situation will remain the same. However, these are positive little steps, nonetheless.
