Crop production in North Korea in 2017, including basic foodstuffs such as rice, corn, potatoes and soybeans, was seriously injured as a result of prolonged drought, threatening the food security of a significant part of the population, according to new estimates of the FAO, held in cooperation with the Joint research centre of the European Commission.

Precipitation from April to June in the major agricultural areas of the Democratic people's Republic was significantly below the average for the last few years, which has largely disrupted agricultural activities and caused damage to the planting of the main crop in 2017.

"Until now, seasonal rains in the major regions-producers of grain was below the level of 2001, when cereal production fell to its lowest level in two million tons, which led to a sharp deterioration of the food security situation of a significant part of the population", - said Vincent Martin, FAO representative in China and North Korea.

Severe drought also affected the early harvest of the year 2016/17, which was assembled in June, including wheat, barley and potatoes. According to the latest FAO estimates, the grain harvest of early season 2017 fell more than 30% compared to last year - from 450,000 tons to 310,000 tons, reports IA "Kazakh-Zerno".

Despite the fact that the early crop is only 10% of the total annual volume of production of grain crops, these crops are an important source of food in the off-season from may to September.

Despite the fact that the rains in the first half of July has slightly eased the situation, they came too late to ensure proper fit and maturation of major seasonal crops in 2017 that will be collected in October-November.

It is expected that lack of rainfall will have a serious impact on the main crops in the regions-producers of cereals, including in the provinces of North and South Pyongyang, North and South Hwanghae, and Nampo city, which together typically account for almost two-thirds of the cereal production in the main season.

Given the forecasts for the reduction in cereal production in the main growing season of 2017, it is expected that the situation of food security will continue to worsen for 2017/18 procurement year, and the demand for grain imports is likely to increase.

Photo: www.stav-ikc.ru