North Korea’s Kim urges ‘radical change’ in agricultural production

Seoul, Feb 28 (EFE).- North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, called for “a radical change in the agricultural production within a few years” during an important meeting of the country’s ruling party aimed at improving crop yields and rural development, state media reported Tuesday.

Kim delivered a speech to conclude the discussion on the first item on the agenda of the second day of the plenary session of the Workers’ Party of Korea held in Pyongyang on Monday, state news agency KCNA reported.

Kim said that the main objective of the meeting was “to find the immediate tasks and scientific long-term objectives and ways with perfect feasibility for successfully attaining the grain production goal this year and bringing about a radical change in the agricultural production within a few years and thus laying a foundation for the stable and sustained development of agriculture.”

“His historic conclusion, which comprehensively dealt with the revolutionary struggle strategies for the rural development, will serve as the guide to action,” KCNA said referring to the North Korean leader’s address.

Kim added that “nothing is impossible as long as the strong leadership system is established in the whole Party and there is the united might of all the people.”

The implementation of the national economic plan and “matters for improving the state financial work” were also discussed on the second day of the plenary session, whose duration is unknown.

This somewhat exceptional meeting – the party held one just two months ago and usually convenes two plenary sessions a year, the first of them in mid-spring – comes at a time when the food situation appears to have deteriorated in the impoverished country.

Strict border closures imposed to prevent the entry of Covid-19, the weather conditions and international sanctions seem to be behind an apparent drop in the country’s agricultural yields.

Recently, the South Korean Ministry of Unification, in charge of ties with the North, pointed out, without offering specific data, that the food situation in the neighboring country seemed to be worsening, with deaths from starvation in some regions.

North Korea, which suffers from endemic malnutrition, faced a severe famine in the mid to late 1990s that is believed to have killed more than 3 million people in the country. EFE

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