Mick Hartley

We heard last month about weeding in North Korea, with the official Rodong Sinmun reporting in typical style how wonderfully well it's all going, as cooperative farms across the country "weed their fields with might and main". The Daily NK, meanwhile, reported on the reality, with a disastrous corn harvest in prospect as "insufficient supplies of basic agricultural supplies such as fertilizer and farm machinery, combined with a lack of proper manpower, have reportedly caused corn fields to be overrun by weeds."

Now here's the latest Daily NK report:

Following North Korea’s acknowledgement to the United Nations that it is suffering food shortages, Daily NK has learned that insufficient agricultural supplies, such as pesticides and fertilizers, have hindered the weeding of rice fields this year. 

“The second round of weeding should have finished by this time of year, but many fields have yet to start their first round,” a source from North Pyongan Province told Daily NK on July 21. “Weeding has been completed only in easily noticed areas of the fields. Other parts of the fields are so overrun by weeds that rice cultivation will likely be negatively impacted.” 

By contrast, North Korean media has stated that the country’s “agricultural processes” are running smoothly, while emphasizing the importance of “increasing grain production.” The Rodong Sinmun, for example, claimed recently that “agricultural processes, including the weeding of paddy fields, are proceeding as planned nationwide.”

However, weeding has progressed as scheduled only in roadside fields that the authorities can scan as they drive by.

That recalls reports from China during Mao's Great Leap Forward, with some 40 million starving to death, when the fields lining the route taken by Party officials were specially prepared with abundant crops to prove that Mao's agricultural reforms were working, while behind, out of sight, all was desolation.

A lack of pesticides and workers is reportedly to blame for the sluggish progress.

North Korea has recognized its chronic shortage of pesticides and fertilizer, but this year’s conditions are exceptionally poor: agricultural supplies – which include pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers – have fallen to 80% of what was available last year. 

Moreover, pulling the weeds by hand is not a solution because many people are reluctant to be mobilized for agricultural work in rural areas.

“[The authorities] have recently given instructions to provide the fields protection against heat waves and typhoons, but nobody is coming to work, which means nothing is happening,” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.  

Bracing for the poor harvest, the subject of “preparing food substitutes” was brought up during cadre training sessions and lectures for ordinary people. 

During these meetings, there has been mention of “rice roots,” eaten by North Koreans to stave off starvation during the Arduous March, and even “peat bread,” which is made by mixing unburned coal powder with a little flour.

The source claims the discussion of food substitutes by government officials suggests this year’s grain production will fall short of projections. “Farmers expect the situation to be worse than the previous year,” he added. 

North Korean authorities released a report to the Voluntary National Review (VNR) at the UN High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on July 13 , stating, “[We are] struggling to meet the target of producing seven million tons of grain. In 2018, 4.95 million tons were produced, the lowest in ten years.”

This is the first time North Korea has publicly disclosed its food shortage through a VNR report.

The submission of the report may be an indirect request by the North Korean authorities for food aid from the international community given signs the country faces a poor harvest this year.

The situation isn't helped by a lack of fertilizer:

The Sunchon Phosphatic Fertilizer Factory — promoted by North Korean authorities as “a creation of self-reliant strength and prosperity” — has been unable to properly produce phosphatic fertilizer since the plant’s completion over a year ago. 

To escape criticism over the plant’s non-existent production, however, the authorities are reportedly employing the “crude strategem” of shipping fertilizer produced at other plants from the Sunchon factory.

In a phone conversation with Daily NK on Wednesday, a source in North Korea said the Sunchon Phosphatic Fertilizer Factory has been unable to produce a finished product, even though the plant was completed over a year and two months ago. “It’s completely unable to produce ammonium phosphate,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “And as for superphosphate of lime, it’s simply being packaged with fertilizer produced in other factories.”

Meanwhile the promised distribution of food is not materialising:

North Korean authorities provided people throughout the country with food at lower-than-market prices in early July, but no food distributions have been detected since. 

A source in Yanggang Province told Daily NK on Tuesday that there has been no talk of food provisions since North Korean authorities sold locals five days’ worth of food at bargain prices earlier this month. “There’s been no relevant orders from the leadership, either,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity….

North Koreans are reportedly wondering whether the authorities will actually provide them with more food, whispering to each other: “The state apparently has no grain, either.”…

“More and more locals are suffering malnutrition, and some people are even starving in certain areas,” said the source. “If the closure of the border and market controls continue under the guise of coronavirus quarantine efforts, even people with excellent survival skills will have a tough time getting through this.”