The agricultural area in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPR Korea), amounts to 1.9 million ha, of which 0.6 is rice, 0.5 maize, 0.2 potato and 0.1 million ha wheat and barley.
In recent years agricultural production in DPR Korea has fallen sharply owing largely to a shortage of inputs compounded by drought. There is little spare arable land and increased production must come from higher yields, which depend among other factors on a satisfactory supply of inputs. However, the domestic fertilizer industry is in a poor state and imports are limited by foreign exchange availability. In consequence the supply and use of mineral fertilizers fell sharply in the 1990s and the nutrient reserves of soils are being progressively mined. The food supply situation has caused international concern.
The main food crops in DPR Korea are rice, wheat and barley and, a relatively new introduction in DPR Korea, potatoes. Yields of the crops are far below their potential.
In order to alleviate the shortage of fertilizers, the government has sought alternative sources of nutrients. It has promoted the use of organic materials as a source of nutrients but, with reduced animal numbers, the material is often of poor quality. Biofertilizers have been tried but, apart perhaps for use on some vegetable crops, the results are often not satisfactory.
Improving the efficiency of the limited quantities of fertilizers that are available is a priority but the soil testing service is run down due to lack of finance. Improved varieties, green manuring and improved rotations are some of the factors that could improve efficiency.
This study is devoted largely to efforts by FAO and the international aid community to increase agricultural production by producing an extra crop on land that remains otherwise under fallow between the harvest in autumn and the planting of the main summer crop. The project is called the "double cropping programme". The crops concerned are winter wheat, spring barley and spring potatoes.
The double cropped area has increased each year since the programme began in 1997, from 47 000 ha to 192 000 ha in 2001, although production in the programme fell from 372 000 tonnes cereal equivalent in 2000 to 172 000 tonnes in 2001 due to a severe drought. The contribution of the programme to food supplies has been significant. The constraints of the programme and proposals for its improvement are analyzed in the study.
Most of the required inputs for the programme have been provided by international aid. The study provides information on a number of projects in years 2000 and 2001, their monitoring and the results in terms of additional production and the beneficiaries.
