FAO Global.25 November 2011.Special Report. A United Nations assessment published today finds that the main annual harvest in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has improved compared to last year but serious nutrition concerns persist, especially among young children.The joint report by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that while harvests are expected to increase by about 8.5 per cent over 2010, the country will still have a cereal import requirement of 739,000 tons (UN.News.Press Room.25 November 2011)
Mission Highlights
1. In DPRK, a total of just under 5.5 million tonnes of staple food production from cooperative farms, individual plots on sloping land and household gardens for 2011/12 is expected, including estimates for the 2011 main season harvest and forecast for the 2012 early season crops. This is about 8.5 percent higher than the revised near normal production in 2010/11 reflecting higher plantings and yields. When paddy is converted to milled rice and soybeans to cereal equivalent, the above total production comes to 4.66 million tonnes.
2. The increase in production was mainly due to the increased availability of fertiliser (up about 50 percent compared to last year), diesel and electricity in spite of the adverse weather. The July-August floods affected paddy crop and the subsequent typhoons particularly impacted the maize crop mainly in North and South Hwanghae, two of the important grain producing provinces.
3. Soybean production this year increased to 254 000 tonnes (294 000 tonnes in cereal equivalent) or about 60 percent higher than the low level of last year. However, given the overall inadequacy of pulses, efforts should continue to increase the protein content of the diet.
4. This year’s poor harvest of early crops has resulted in the shortage of wheat, barley and potato seed for the 2012 winter and spring crops.
5. Based on the Mission’s estimate of total utilization needs of 5.40 million tonnes of cereal equivalent (rice in milled terms), the Mission estimates cereal import requirement of 739 000 tonnes for the 2011/12 marketing year (November/October), which is 347 000 tonnes lower than the 2010/11 estimate of 1.086 million tonnes by the Rapid Food Security Assessment (RFSA). According to the Ministry of Food Administration and Procurement, 325 000 tonnes of commercial imports are planned for the upcoming marketing year. Given this, the Mission estimates an uncovered food deficit of 414 000 tonnes for the 2011/12 marketing year.
6. From May through September 2011, much of the population of DPRK suffered prolonged food deprivation as the Public Distribution System (PDS) ration of cereals was reduced to 200 grams or less per person per day, providing only one-third the minimum daily energy requirement. The combination of commercial imports, bilateral assistance, and early crop harvest was not sufficient to cover the cereal requirement. In response, urban PDS dependent households sourced a large proportion of their food supply from relatives living in rural areas, by collecting wild foods, and/or by accessing informal market mechanisms.
7. Health officials interviewed reported a 50 to 100 percent increase in the admissions of malnourished children into paediatric wards compared to last year, a sharp rise in low-birth weight, and the mission team observed several cases of oedema. Inadequate food intake has clearly compounded the health and nutrition status of vulnerable groups.
8. The mission recommends provision of 120 000 tonnes, in cereal equivalent, of fortified blended food, fortified biscuits, and other high protein food commodities for distribution to 3 million vulnerable people, living in the five most food-insecure provinces of Ryanggang, Chagang, North Hamgyong, South Hamgyong, and Kangwon and in the food deficit counties of four other provinces of North Pyongan, South Pyongan, North Hwanghae, and South Hwanghae. Comprehensive monitoring and reporting remains critical to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of support provided.
9. The planned commercial imports and recommended food assistance do not fill the entire uncovered food deficit leaving an additional gap of 294 000 tonnes of cereals (i.e. 414 000 tonnes of uncovered national deficit minus 120 000 tonnes of recommended food aid). The Mission highlights the importance of meeting this gap to ensure adequate food is available through additional imports by the Government supported by the international agencies and bilateral donors.
10. The Mission is concerned that another year of prolonged food deprivation will have a serious impact on the health and nutrition situation of the population and recommends a package of food-based nutrition interventions to address the deficit of protein and fats in the diet of young children, pregnant/lactating women, and the elderly.
11. In order to improve food security in the short to medium term, the Mission also makes recommendations for national and international support for - (i) inputs, in particular plastic sheets and seeds for the early crops wheat, barley and potatoes, (ii) support for conservation agriculture (CA) and (iii) general assistance to private household garden production.
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