North Korea’s Kim Calls For Unity To Boost Grain Production

South Korea’s SEOUL — North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un has called for greater public support for his leadership to significantly increase the country’s grain production, state media reported Tuesday, amid outside concerns about the country’s worsening food insecurity.

Foreign experts say that COVID-19 border restrictions and a rumored push for the government to have more control over grain supply have made it very hard for North Korea to get food. Experts say that there is no proof that the shortage has caused mass deaths or famine.

According to the official Korean Central News Agency, Kim told a meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party on Monday that his government was determined “to bring about a revolutionary turn in agricultural production no matter what.”

“Nothing is impossible as long as there is a strong leadership system in the entire party and the united might of all the people,” Kim said.

KCNA did not say whether Kim presented any specific steps to increase grain production. Many people think that North Korea needs to buy more fertilizer, pesticides, and farm equipment in order to increase grain production. This is because North Korea spends most of its limited resources on its nuclear weapons program.

North Korea’s chronic food shortage has most likely worsened due to COVID-19 restrictions that have stifled its external trade, ongoing US-led sanctions, and its mismanagement.

North Korea’s chronic food shortage has most likely worsened due to COVID-19.

According to South Korean estimates, North Korea produced 4.5 million tons of grain last year. Its annual production was estimated to be 4.4 million to 4.8 million tons in the previous decade. According to South Korea’s spy agency, North Korea requires 5.5 million tons of grain annually to feed its 25 million people.

Unofficial grain purchases from China used to cover about half of the gap, but pandemic-related border closures have likely reduced those transactions. According to Kwon Tae-jin, a senior economist at the private GS&J Institute in South Korea, the situation was exacerbated by a decline in people’s earnings and the government’s unsuccessful efforts to supply grain through state-run facilities while restricting private dealing at markets.

According to most analysts, North Korea’s current food shortage is nowhere near the extremes of the 1990s, when famine killed hundreds of thousands of people. They believe the party’s Central Committee meeting was partly held to promote Kim’s image as a leader concerned about his people at a time when he is at odds with the US over his nuclear program.

The plenary session began on Sunday and was scheduled to last at least one more day.

According to Kim, the conference’s main purpose was to find immediate ways to meet this year’s grain production goal and scientifically feasible long-term objectives to radically increase agricultural production within a few years, according to KCNA. According to KCNA, other senior officials examined unspecified flaws in previous rural development projects and proposed solutions.

Increasing grain production is one of the 12 economic goals adopted by North Korea’s ruling party at a previous party meeting in December. Grain production must be increased at all costs, according to state media.

SOURCE – (AP)