Archive for the ‘Food’ Category

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Farming Regions in State of Tension

Tuesday, May 15th, 2012

According to the Daily NK:

This year, the North Korean authorities are once again emphasizing the need to strive for greater food production as the farming season begins, launching the annual 40-day total farm mobilization period with the words “Let’s mobilize the whole party, the whole nation and all the people to reach the grain production targets.”

Rodong Shinmun published editorials on the subject on both the 11th and again on the 12th, reflecting the emphasis being optimistically placed on solving food security issues in 2012. Kim Jong Eun also emphasized the same in his major statements on the 6th and 27th of last month, understandably so given that farm productivity has the potential to play such a decisive role in stabilizing the first full winter of his rule.

Inside sources say that the mobilization atmosphere is unusually intense this year in farming villages. Cadres and people alike are feeling the strain of Kim Jong Eun’s first season in charge, with the assumption being that this year could see severe punishments meted out for any wrongdoing.

A South Hamkyung Province explained to Daily NK yesterday, “The whole nation is out there supporting the farms, including enterprises affiliated with state agencies, upper middle school and college students and military bases. People are not allowed to be at home or in the streets. Restaurants are not open either. Everybody is out on the farms. It’s just like martial law, really brutal.”

“5 or 6 safety agents have set up a desk in the street and are stopping people passing by, confiscating their identifications and the bikes they are on and sending them to nearby farms,” he went on. “People can only pass if they have a confirmation slip from a cooperative farm management committee.”

“The markets are only allowed to open from 5PM to 8PM after farm work is done for the day, so excluding preparation and organizing time, there is only an hour or so that the market is open. Buyers and sellers are all super busy,” he added.

During the 40-day total mobilization period, school classes are halted and students sent off to farms for forty days carrying their food and bedding. Laborers, workers in administrative organs and members of the Union of Democratic Women all commute from home to local collective farms until the planting and seeding is done.

North Korea has had the policy in place since 2006. Prior to that, students still had to farm every day, but full-time workers and members of the Union of Democratic Women went out just twice or three times a month.

In 2006, five provincial Party cadres from North Hamkyung Province were caught enjoying a spa during the period. They were summarily kicked out of the Party and sent into internal exile with their families.

“Until last year we were able to get confirmation of attendance from farm management committee cadres by giving a bribe, but with this year being the first under Kim Jong Eun, those tricks are unlikely to work,” the source concluded.

Read full story here:

Farming Regions in State of Tension
Daily NK
Choi Song Min
2012-5-15

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Posted in 2012 food shortage, Agriculture, Democratic Women's Union, Education, Food, General markets (FMR: Farmers Market), Labor conditions/wages | Comments Closed

UN estimates DPRK to secure 2m tons of rice in 2012

Wednesday, May 9th, 2012

According to Yonhap:

A U.N. food agency has estimated that North Korea will secure 2 million tons of rice in 2012, up about 18 percent from last year, a news report said Wednesday.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said that the North produced 1.6 million tons of rice last fall and is expected to import 300,000 tons of rice and receive 100,000 tons of outside assistance, Washington-based Radio Free Asia reported, citing the FAO’s food outlook.

The Rome-based U.N. agency also estimated that North Korea’s per capita rice consumption is expected to increase to 72.3 kilograms between last year’s fall and summer of this year, up from 64 kilograms in the same period last year, the RFA said.

In February, the FAO said more than 3 million vulnerable people are estimated to face a food deficit as chronic food insecurity continues throughout North Korea.

The North has relied on international handouts since the late 1990s when it suffered a massive famine that was estimated to have killed 2 million people.

Marcus Noland has a piece here on global food prices.

Read the full story here:
U.N. estimates N. Korea to secure 2 million tons of rice this year
Yonhap
2012-5-9

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Posted in 2012 food shortage, Agriculture, Food, UN Food and Agriculture Organization | Comments Closed

Food distribution unchanged in April

Tuesday, May 8th, 2012

According to the Daily NK:

The World Food Programme (WFP) has revealed that food distribution by the North Korean authorities in April, the month of Kim Il Sung’s centennial birthday, was on the same scale as in the month before.

According to Radio Free Asia (RFA) yesterday, WFP believes that food distribution to the North Korean people this past April was 400g per day, which is 66% of the 600g per day recommended intake.

Nana Skau, the WFP’s North Korea spokesperson explained, “The food distributed by the North Korean authorities was a mix of rice and corn, and depending on the region the mix was either at 2:8 or 3:7.”

She went on, “In April there were many celebrations including Kim Il Sung’s 100th birthday so a lot of public institutions were either closed or distribution from them went down. The reason why our 83 cases of food distribution in 22 counties was one third of the previous month’s total of 220 cases in 59 counties was also because there were many public holidays.”

Meanwhile, WFP has revealed that aid is still entering the country, announcing that “In April 98.5 tons of food arrived in North Korea and in May 2,700 tons of mostly beans and powdered milk is expected to be sent there.”

Read the full story here:
Food Distribution Unmoved by April
Daily NK
Hwang Chang Hyun
2012-05-08

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Posted in 2012 food shortage, Food, Foreign aid statistics, International Aid, Public Distribiution System (PDS), Statistics, UN, UN World Food Program | Comments Closed

New stores and factories open in North Korea

Thursday, May 3rd, 2012

Pictured above (Google Earth): The location of the Mansugyo Meat and Fish Shop (a.k.a. “Hero Street Meat Shop”) in Pyongyang

Institute for Far Eastern Studies (IFES)
2012-5-2

Recently, new stores are opening in Pyongyang.

On April 26, Kim Jong Un, the first secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, congratulated the opening of a meat store in Mansugyo.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on April 26 that the “dear respected Kim Jong Un appeared at the shop to congratulate its opening,” and “looking round the interior of the shop, Kim Jong Un expressed great satisfaction with the soldier builders having built the shop to be loved by the people. He ardently said leader Kim Jong Il would have seen the shop with the highest service level.”

The three-story store covers over 5,000 square meters. The first floor has fresh and frozen fish; the second floor sells beef, pork, goose, turkey, quail and processed foods; and the third floor is equipped with a restaurant serving bulgogi or barbecued beef.

Kim Jong Un is reported to have visited the construction site for the store in January and March and provided guidance over the direction of the project.

On April 27, the KCNA reported that another store, the Mirae Shop for scientists and technicians, opened in Pyongyang. It eulogized Kim Jong Un for naming the shop and commended “his noble intention” for promoting the development of science and technology.

The shop is reported to have a variety of popular goods for sale, including daily necessities, electrical appliances and foodstuffs. In addition, it also boasted its convenient facilities for customers such as alteration and watch repair services as well as elevators and beverage vendors.

On the same day, the KCNA also reported on opening of two other establishments; modern soymilk powder production process of Pyongyang Children’s Foodstuffs Factory and a process for producing sanitary articles at the Pyongyang Cigarette Paper Factory.

The soymilk powder production factory was described as follows: “Employees of the factory, soldier-builders and researchers of Kim Chaek University of Technology manufactured dozens of equipment needed for automatic packing process and the process of carrying and melting sugar powder and installed latest equipment.”

The development of the sanitary products factory was celebrated as an achievement that will meet the needs of women’s daily necessities.

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Posted in 2012 Strong and Prosperous Nation (Kangsong Taeguk), Construction, Food | Comments Closed

Phyongsong restaurant street opens

Wednesday, April 25th, 2012

 

Phyongsong  restaurant street: (L) via Google Earth (R) via Rodong Sinmun

According to KCNA:

New Street of Restaurants Built in S. Phyongan Province

Pyongyang, April 24 (KCNA) — A street of restaurants was newly built in the Jungdok area in Phyongsong City, South Phyongan Province of the DPRK.

There include houses serving casserole, noodle, tangogi soup and entrails soup. A meat shop was also built there, making it possible to improve the people’s diet.

The street is decorated with peculiar display of colorful light.

The restaurant street was featured on the evening news on April 16.

There are at least two other “Restaurant Streets” in the DPRK: Changwang Street in Pyongyang and Hoeryong, North Hamgyong Province.

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Posted in Construction, Food, Restaurants | 2 Comments »

South urges DPRK agricultural reforms

Wednesday, April 25th, 2012

According to Yonhap:

President Lee Myung-bak on Friday urged North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to give up the collective farm system and privatize state-owned agricultural land to help enrich the North and its residents.

…

“North Korea should abandon its collective farm system and shift to the privatization of agricultural land. If so, rice will be abundant in two to three years. Farmland privatization will help individuals earn more and the state increase revenues,” Lee was quoted by his spokesman Park Jeong-ha as saying in the lecture.

“(Farmland reform) is a must for North Korea. All the young leader has to do is the (reform). It is the most urgent matter and has to precede its market opening. Continued dependence on aid will only produce beggars.”

President Lee’s statement stresses the short-term economic benefits of moving away from collective farming: More food, higher incomes to farmers, improved fiscal position, and thus, increased political legitimacy for the Kim Jong-un government. However, from a political and strategic viewpoint he is probably hoping that North Korean agricultural reform will pave the way for broader economic reforms — as was the case in China. However, it is worth noting that China’s agricultural reforms, which ended the misery of the Great Leap Forward and laid the foundation for broader economic reforms, were not created in Beijing.  They were developed and implemented by a single village of scared, hungry farmers:

Pictured above (via Marginal Revolution): Farmers from 18 households in Xiaogang village (Fenyang County, Anhui Province) signed this contract bringing a de facto (not de jure) end to collective farming.

Economists Tyler Cowen and Alex Tabarrok said the following of the Xiaogang Contract:

The Great Leap Forward was a great leap backward – agricultural land was less productive in 1978 than it had been in 1949 when the communists took over. In 1978, however, farmers in the village of Xiaogang held a secret meeting. The farmers agreed to divide the communal land and assign it to individuals – each farmer had to produce a quota for the government but anything he or she produced in excess of the quota they would keep. The agreement violated government policy and as a result the farmers also pledged that if any of them were to be killed or jailed the others would raise his or her children until the age of 18.

The change from collective property rights to something closer to private property rights had an immediate effect, investment, work effort and productivity increased. “You can’t be lazy when you work for your family and yourself,” said one of the farmers.

Word of the secret agreement leaked out and local bureaucrats cut off Xiaogang from fertilizer, seeds and pesticides. But amazingly, before Xiaogang could be stopped, farmers in other villages also began to abandon collective property. In Beijing, Mao Zedong was dead and a new set of rulers, seeing the productivity improvements, decided to let the experiment proceed.

The rapid increase in China-DPRK trade and information exchanges raises the question of just how many North Koreans have heard of the Xiaogang contract or how many villages have implemented similar measures?

For its part, the Workers Party has employed a mixture of both top-down agricultural policies and accommodation of bottom-up economic innovations to increase food availability. From a top-down perspective, the DPRK has promoted “technological inputs” (fertilizer production, terraced hillsides, large irrigation projects, land reclamation, land rezoning, new foodstuff factories, improved management techniques, CNC) and multilateral aid outreach (official and private food aid from abroad). From a bottom-up perspective, the DPRK has offered and expanded economic incentives (kitchen/private plots, farmers’ markets, general markets, July 2002 Measures, 8.3 Measures, accommodation of some illegal activity,  family-based work team units on collective farms).  The combination of all these efforts, however, has obviously not resulted in food security–for a number of reasons that are too  lengthy for a simple blog post.

If you are interested in learning more about the DPRK’s agricultural policies, I have posted below some papers (PDF) covering different stages in the North Korean agriculture sector: Pre-war, post war (collectivization), and post famine (arduous march). They are all well worth reading:

1. Lee Chong-Sik, “Land Reform, Collectivisation and the Peasants in North Korea”, The China Quarterly, No. 14 (Apr. – Jun., 1963), pp. 65-81

2. Yoon T. Kuark, “North Korea’s Agricultural Development during the Post-War Period”, The China Quarterly, No. 14 (Apr. – Jun., 1963), pp. 82-93

3. Andrei Lankov, Seok Hyang Kim, Inok Kwak, “Relying on One’s Strength: The Growth of the Private Agriculture in Borderland Areas of North Korea”

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Posted in Agriculture, Black markets, Economic reform, Fiscal & monetary policy, Food, General markets (FMR: Farmers Market) | 1 Comment »

Lankov on the evolution of personal income in the DPRK

Wednesday, April 25th, 2012

Andrei Lankov writes on the history and evolution of personal income in the DPRK. According to his article in the Asia Times:

When one talks about virtually any country, wages and salaries are one of the most important things to be considered. How much does a clerk or a doctor, a builder or a shopkeeper earn there? What is their survival income, and above what level can a person be considered rich?

Such questions are pertinent to impoverished North Korea, but this is the Hermit Kingdom, so answering such seemingly simple questions creates a whole host of problems.

We could look first at official salaries but this is not easy since statistics on this are never published in North Korea. Nonetheless, it is known from reports of foreign visitors and sojourners that in the 1970s and 1980s, most North Koreans earned between 50 to 100 won per month, with 70 won being the average salary.

Read more below…
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Posted in 1990s Famine, Arduous March, Fiscal & monetary policy, Food, Labor conditions/wages, Public Distribiution System (PDS) | Comments Closed

North Korea redefines ‘minimum’ wage

Wednesday, April 25th, 2012

Andrei Lankov writes in the Asia Times:

When one talks about virtually any country, wages and salaries are one of the most important things to be considered. How much does a clerk or a doctor, a builder or a shopkeeper earn there? What is their survival income, and above what level can a person be considered rich?

Such questions are pertinent to impoverished North Korea, but this is the Hermit Kingdom, so answering such seemingly simple questions creates a whole host of problems.

Read the full story below:

(more…)

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Posted in 1990s Famine, 2002 Economic reforms, Arduous March, Black markets, Finance, Fiscal & monetary policy, Food, General markets (FMR: Farmers Market), Labor conditions/wages, Public Distribiution System (PDS) | 1 Comment »

Kim Jong-un’s first public speech

Sunday, April 15th, 2012

Pictured above: Kim Jong-un delivers his first public address in Kim Il-sung Square

You can watch the video of the entire speech on YouTube here. And just for fun, here is a link to Kim Jong-il’s only public address which I posted to Youtube last year. I also posted this video of Kim Jong-il speaking at a meeting with South Korean president Roh Roh Moo-hyun.

UPDATE 2 (2012-4-25): The Institute for Far Eastern Studies (IFES) has posted some analysis of the speech:

Kim Jong-un’s first public speech: New direction for economic policy stressed
Institute For Far Eastern Studies (IFES)
2012-4-25

Kim Jong Un, the first chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK, made his first speech during a military parade to commemorate the centenary of the birth of his grandfather, Kim Il Sung.

The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, released an article on April 19 with the details of the speech.

In the article, Kim Jong Un emphasized, “songun is our autonomy, dignity and life” and pledged to uphold the songun politics to continue the teachings of his father, Kim Jong Il.

Kim Jong Un also underlined that the most important national agenda is becoming a powerful nation through improving the national economy, and resolving the food shortage problem. In addition, he stressed that strong knowledge-based economy must be built by way of new industrial revolution.

The economic policy Kim Jong Un set forth involved resolving the food crisis for the people, development of light industry, transition to a powerful knowledge-based economy, land management, and improvement of cultural and education projects. The Cabinet will be directing the new economic plan. The details of the plan are as follows:

First, in order to resolve the food issue, agricultural production should be improved through investment and technological assistance from the state level. Grain yields should be increased to reach the grain production goals to normalize food distribution for the people.

Second, light industry must be reinforced to resolve the shortages of daily necessities. Specific measures should be established to secure raw materials and to improve the quality to elevate the demand of North Korean products.

Third, housing, food, fuel and other issues related to livelihood must be given priority to improve the quality of life for the people.

Fourth, basic industrial sectors must be developed to build a strong foundation for economic development which can lead to advance production in all areas of the people’s economy.

Fifth, power, coal, metal, and railway system should lead the way to revitalize the people’s economy and stabilize the lives of the people. In particular, power production must be drastically increased and distributed in order to effectively improve the quality of life and monitoring and control must be reinforced.

Sixth, the nation must be established as a strong knowledge-based nation. It was acknowledged that the world is quickly transitioning to the informatization of the economy and North Korea must develop the national economy and build an economic structure that meets international demand. Science and technology should be the forerunner to incorporate science and technology with production and resolve all problems in the economic development process from the science and technology aspect.

UPDATE 1 (2012-4-18): Martyn Williams somehow managed to put up a full English translation of the talk.

ORIGINAL POST (2012-4-15): KCNA reports on the speech:

Kim Jong Un Speaks at Military Parade

Pyongyang, April 15 (KCNA) — The dear respected Kim Jong Un made a congratulatory speech at the military parade celebrating the centenary of the birth of Generalissimo Kim Il Sung.

In his speech Kim Jong Un said that the military parade is a great festival of victors which was provided according to the noble intention of leader Kim Jong Il and on his direct initiative to glorify forever the feats Kim Il Sung performed in the army building and demonstrate the might of the socialist power before the world.

Kim Il Sung, who directed primary efforts to strengthening the revolutionary armed forces in the whole period of his protracted revolutionary activities, worked such military miracle in the 20th century as defeating the most ferocious two imperialisms in one generation, trained the Korean People’s Army into a match-for-a hundred revolutionary army, put all the people under arms and turned the whole country into a fortress, providing a strong military guarantee for the sovereignty of the country and the eternal prosperity of the nation, he noted.

Kim Jong Il, who regarded it as his lifelong mission to carry forward and accomplish the Songun revolutionary cause of Juche pioneered by Kim Il Sung, ushered in the greatest heyday of the development of the Korean revolutionary armed forces with his extraordinary wisdom, outstanding commanding art and matchless grit, he said, and went on:

The Korean revolutionary armed forces have fully demonstrated the might of the powerful revolutionary army distinct in its revolutionary nature and strong in its militant spirit and might under the care of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.

The military and technical superiority is no longer a monopoly of the imperialists and gone are the days when the enemies could threaten and blackmail against the DPRK with A bombs.

The far-reaching strategy and final victory of the Korean revolution lie in advancing straight along the road of independence, the road of Songun and the path of socialism indicated by Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.

It is the firm resolution of the Workers’ Party of Korea to enable our people, the best people in the world who have remained loyal to the party, overcoming all difficulties, to live, without tightening their belts any longer, and fully enjoy wealth and prosperity under socialism.

The WPK and the DPRK government will join hands with anyone who truly wants the reunification of the country and the peace and prosperity of the nation and make responsible and patient efforts to accomplish the historic cause of national reunification.

The sun’s flag of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il will fly forever before the ranks of the Korean revolution demonstrating victory and glory only and will always encourage us to win fresh victories, he concluded.

More below…

(more…)

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Posted in Arduous March, Food, Kim Jong Un, Military, Political economy | 1 Comment »

15 Items on 4.15 Distribution List

Wednesday, April 11th, 2012

According to the Daily NK:

The North Korean authorities have ordered Party cadres to ensure the distribution of at least fifteen specific products to the people to celebrate this weekend’s 100th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung. Local cadres are trying everything to meet the target, having been made aware that success or failure will be taken as a measure of their Party loyalty.

According to a source from North Hamkyung Province, the fifteen compulsory items on the list are: glutinous rice (2kg), soybean oil (1kg), pork (2kg), sugar (1kg), soju (2 bottles), fish (1kg), snacks (1kg), candies (1kg), 10 eggs, fruit (1kg), seaweed or Chinese cabbage (2kg), bean sprouts (1kg), wild herbs, soap and toothpaste. The list stands in stark contrast with ordinary years, when distribution generally consists of two or three products, frequently including alcohol and soybean oil.

Moreover, there are plans to ensure that items including soap, towels, socks and shoes are available for purchase from state stores at low prices.

“Party secretaries in factories are totally lost; I mean, they have received the special instructions but haven’t been given any money,” a source from North Hamkyung Province told Daily NK last night. “Some are borrowing the money, while others are even collecting it from their workers to buy pork in the market. Bean sprouts are being cultivated privately by factories.”

However, the source also relayed news of trading organs that have been doing well in the run-up to the holiday period adding items to the distribution list, including Chinese DVD players worth more than $100 and Chinese-made bicycles worth up to $180.

The authorities have also reportedly mobilized the Union of Democratic Women to produce cabbage and spinach in vinyl greenhouses. Women have also been ordered to gather wild herbs from local mountainsides.

Read the full article here:
15 Items on 4.15 Distribution List
Daily NK
Choi Song Min
2012-4-11

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Posted in Civil society, Finance, Food, Political economy | Comments Closed

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