North Korea claimed that its 2024 national grain production plan exceeded 107% and that the number of high-yield farms reached over 680, more than six times the figure from the previous year.
Rodong Sinmun also reported on Thursday that “more than 6,300 high-yield work teams and over 20,900 high-yield sub-work groups, an increase of over 11 times, were recognized, with more than 65,100 individuals acknowledged as high-yield achievers.”
They emphasized that “the cultivation area for wheat has expanded, and the yield per hectare has significantly increased, demonstrating the effectiveness of the Party’s new agricultural policies, which aim to restructure grain production and promote rice and wheat cultivation.”
Contrary to these claims, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) included North Korea in its list of 46 countries needing external food assistance in its “Crop Prospects and Food Situation Quarterly Report,” published in November 2024.
The FAO estimates North Korea’s annual food requirement to be 5.76 million tons. However, South Korea’s Rural Development Administration estimated North Korea’s 2023 production of staple crops, such as rice and corn, at approximately 4.82 million tons, an increase of 310,000 tons or 6.9% compared to the previous year.
However, the production of wheat and barley appears to have increased due to expanded cultivation areas led by the authorities.
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