Agriculture

 

Overview of DPRK Agriculture

1. Land and River Importance:

   • Only 17% of DPRK's territory is arable, with most farming concentrated along the Tedong River, which supports over 6 million people.

2. Geographical Focus:

   • Agriculture is mainly in four provinces: North and South P’yŏngan and North and South Hwanghae. These regions have favorable conditions: flat land, higher rainfall, and better irrigation.

3. Historical Context:

   • During the Japanese occupation (1910-1945), Korea's population doubled, but the agricultural focus was skewed towards exporting high-quality crops to Japan. After liberation in 1945, North Korea reformed its agricultural practices, leading to collectivization.

4. Collectivization:

   • By 1958, all farms were collectivized, forming cooperative farms typically comprising 300-500 members and covering about 500 hectares. These farms operate like small communities, with facilities for education and healthcare.

5. State Support and Quotas:

   • The state provides equipment (fertilizers, pesticides) and sets production quotas. Products are sold directly to the state for national distribution.

6. Technological Advances:

   • The 1964 thesis on the Socialist Rural Question aimed to modernize agriculture through:
     • Expanding irrigation (over 3,500 pumps by 1998).
     • Doubling tractor numbers, targeting 3,000 tractors annually by 1973.

7. Impact of Historical Events:

   • The collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s led to severe food shortages known as the Arduous March. This prompted innovations like greenhouse farming to combat frost and extend growing seasons.

8. Potato Revolution:

   • In the late 1990s, potato cultivation expanded significantly, from 50,000 hectares to over 200,000 hectares within a decade. This dual cropping with rice improved overall yields.

9. Current Developments:

   • Recent initiatives include greenhouse complexes and a 20x10 policy aimed at regional development, enhancing local industries and potentially boosting agricultural productivity.

 

In 1946, sweeping land reforms were implemented in the northern half of Korea, introducing collectivized agriculture. Previously, farmland was owned by Japanese landlords and worked by local farmers. The state aimed to group these farmers into collective or cooperative farms. By 1958, every farm in the country had been collectivized. Each collective farm is typically managed by local committees at the village or county level and consists of 300 to 500 people, covering around 500 hectares of land. These farms function more like small villages and communities than industrial agricultural facilities, featuring separate units for administration and management. They are equipped with local schools, healthcare facilities, cultural centers, shops, and residential areas for families.

In exchange for land use rights, the state provides collectives with quotas to fulfill, along with essential equipment such as fertilizers, pesticides, and agricultural training. Products from these farms are sold directly to the state for national distribution. Beyond cooperative farms, the remaining arable land consists of state-owned farms. Since 1946, the Korean Union of Agricultural Workers has overseen farmers nationwide, providing representation in government for farm workers at both local and national levels, and offering education on new agricultural methods.

The 1964 thesis on the Socialist Rural Question is crucial for understanding agriculture in Korea. This document outlines revolutionary policies aimed at transforming the national farming infrastructure. The thesis promoted the Three Revolutions Theory, which sought to develop national ideology, culture, and technological capabilities. It emphasized elevating the peasantry to stand alongside the urban working class, thus eliminating distinctions between farmers and factory workers and transforming the national peasantry into socialist farmers to enhance the livelihoods of farming communities.

Culturally, collective farms were consolidated into regional groups under local management committees, which coordinated production among previously disparate organizations. Technologically, the thesis called for:

• Expanding irrigation across the nation's arable land.
• Increasing fertilizer use.
• Mass adoption of mechanized agriculture.
• Reclaiming tidal and wetland areas to increase arable land.
• Expanding electricity access to rural communities.

These policies had a significant impact, with over 3,500 pumps constructed by 1998, which increased irrigated land by 50 times and created new farmable territories. The number of tractors doubled, with a production target of 3,000 per year by 1973, aiming for an average of six to seven tractors per hectare of arable land. This modernization was credited with record-breaking harvests in the late 1980s. A notable project from this modernization period was the West Sea Barrage, which was built to create a fresh water reservoir for irrigation.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, the DPRK faced what is known as the Arduous March, a series of food shortages exacerbated by natural disasters and sanctions on fertilizers and farming machinery. This prompted new agricultural innovations, including an increased number of greenhouses. Much of the DPRK's arable land experiences frost for half the year, making greenhouses essential for year-round production. Facilities like the Nyongpo Greenhouse Complex and the Kangdong Greenhouse, which opened in 2022, were developed on former military sites as part of a government directive to repurpose military infrastructure.

Additionally, a nationwide campaign aimed at redeveloping smaller towns and collective farms is underway to improve living standards. The recent 20x10 policy promotes constructing regional industry factories in 20 counties annually over the next decade, aiming to develop local industries, including food production, which will positively impact both state and collective farms.

One significant development during this period was the Potato Revolution of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Potatoes gained increased status, with the area cultivated for them rising from 50,000 hectares to over 200,000 hectares in ten years. The northern Tongan County became renowned for its potatoes, leading the nation in production. Potatoes were grown alongside rice, allowing for higher overall yields from the limited arable land.