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FAO/WFP CROP AND FOOD SUPPLY ASSESSMENT MISSION TO THE DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA - 25 June 1998

Year of publication 1998

Author Trade and Markets Division

Product type Book (stand-alone)

Series title Special Reports and Alerts

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) Extensive floods in 1995 and 1996 coupled with the worst drought in decades in 1997, crippled the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s agriculture and its ability to feed its population. This series of natural disasters came on top of several years of economic slowdown and stagnation, which had already led to falling productivity and production in agriculture and dramatically reduced food availability. An adequate volume of essential inputs could not be supplied (imported or manufactured) to service intensive agriculture, whilst low foreign reserves meant that sufficient food could not be imported to meet the deficit. Consequently the country has had to rely heavily on international food assistance. In view of the fragile food supply prospects and to keep the international community continuously appraised of the situation, a four member FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission visited Korea DPR from 2 - 12 June. The objectives of the Mission were to assess the food situati on as the country enters the lean season and to review early prospects for food grain, harvest of which begins in September/October. The Mission follows an earlier one in October 1997 which warned of a grim food outlook for the country for 1998, with food production expected to cover minimum needs for only 7 months - up to May this year.

Language English

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    The combination of economic decline and natural disasters in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea since 1995, have seriously compromised national food security. Although the unprecedented volume of food aid and international assistance for agriculture recovery has undoubtedly helped ease the situation, the country still faces a precarious food outlook. An earlier FAO/WFP mid-season assessment of crop and food prospects in June warned that even under favourable weather conditions, chro nic shortages of essential agricultural inputs would compromise food production this year leaving the country with a large food deficit. In addition, the severity of economic problems facing the country and its seriously reduced capacity to import food commercially meant that a large part of the deficit would need to be covered by food assistance.
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    FAO/WFP CROP AND FOOD SUPPLY ASSESSMENT MISSION TO THE DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA - 16 November 2000 2000
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    After two relatively stable agricultural years in 1998 and 1999, which saw moderate recovery in domestic food production following earlier disasters in 1995, 1996 and 1997, food production in 2000 has again slumped. This has been due to a combination of drought, at critical stages in the crop cycle, particularly planting, and the cumulative effect of underlying problems in agriculture which continue to constrain production heavily. Most important of these constraints has been the lack of electri city and fuel, which has greatly hindered irrigation and water delivery systems, resulting in lack of water in reservoirs and in the field at important times during the season. As a result of these factors there has been a sizeable reduction in rice and maize productivity and production. This year's drought also affected neighbouring China and a number of other countries in central and south Asia and the Middle East. The knock-on effects, however, are perhaps more ominous in DPR Korea as t he country can essentially produce food during only one season in the year (June-Oct.), has chronic input problems in the agricultural sector and is already in the midst of serious and persistent food shortages. Consequently, with no real possibility of enhancing food supplies significantly through domestic production till the next harvest in September/October 2001 and limited resources to import food commercially, the country appears to have little alternative other than to rely heavily on food assistance during the next 12 months, as it has done for the last five years.
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    FAO/WFP CROP AND FOOD SUPPLY ASSESSMENT MISSION TO THE DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA - 24 July 2000 2000
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    Although there are encouraging signs that the relaxation of trade and economic sanctions imposed on DPR Korea and prospects of greater economic interaction with other countries in the region, will undoubtedly have a positive impact on longer term food security in the country, the current food supply situation still remains precarious, particularly amongst vulnerable groups. Approaching its sixth year of food shortages, therefore, the country still requires large scale food assistance to ensure a dequate nutritional standards, especially for children, pregnant women and the elderly. The period between May/June and October is crucial to food supply prospects as it corresponds to the beginning of the lean food supply period, when food stocks are traditionally at their lowest, and also the start of the main crop season on which the country depends heavily for domestic food production. Crop losses, as in 1995 to 1997 due to natural disasters, therefore can have a devastating effect on food a vailability. In view of the importance of this period, a joint FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission visited DPR Korea from 20 June to 1 July, to review the situation in relation to available food supplies, the nutritional health of the population and early prospects for 2000 production. The mission also had an opportunity of reviewing findings of an earlier assessment mission in October last year at the time of the main harvest, at which time a projection was made for food supply pros pects for the 1999/2000 marketing year (Nov/Oct).
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