Incentives, weather boost NK harvest
Print Edition
NORTH Korea could be looking at a better harvest than last year despite severe flooding in the country’s northeast, thanks to generally good weather and ongoing changes in official policy that allow farmers to keep — and profit from — more of what they produce.
While formal data is not out yet, the main harvest of 2016, which is currently under way, appears to be shaping up to be slightly better than last year, according to the World Food Program.
The WFP, which has an office in Pyongyang, attributed the positive outlook to good weather, but noted the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) will still need to top up locally produced food with imports and added that the flooding in the northeast caused by Typhoon Lionrock in late August and early September could have a significant impact on food supply in the affected areas.
North Korea has made significant strides in agriculture since the disastrous famine years of the 1990s. But the mountainous and isolated country has yet to achieve its official goal of food self-sufficiency. Malnourishment caused by the lack of balanced diets is widespread, and the United Nations continues a long-term program of assistance to the most vulnerable segments of the population.
But there are also signs that incentives for farmers are increasing production.
In his first public speech after assuming power upon the death of his father in late 2011, Kim vowed in April 2012 that the North Korean people shouldn’t have to tighten their belts again. That same year, outsiders started to detect changes in Pyongyang’s agricultural policy, including allowing farmers to keep more of their crops, if they could produce more, instead of having to hand over all their harvest to the state.
North Korea calls it the “field responsibility system” and officially credits the idea to its founding leader, Kim Il Sung. In effect, it’s an effort by the government to create an incentive for production while maintaining state management.
Colin Kampschoer, the WFP’s representative in Pyongyang, stressed “the floods that hit the north of the DPRK in early September have reportedly damaged 27,411 hectares of arable land.”
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