North Korean leader Kim Jong Un urged government officials to engineer a “fundamental transformation” in agricultural production, state media reported on Tuesday, amid fears that the country’s food shortage is worsening.
Kim said hitting grain production targets this year was a top priority and emphasized the importance of stable agriculture production during the second day of the seventh enlarged plenary meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea on Monday, according to state news agency KCNA.
The report did not elaborate on what measures North Korea would take, but Kim said the changes need to happen in the next few years.
Collective farms account for the vast majority of North Korea’s agriculture, according to researchers. Such farms typically host multiple small farmers who produce crops with joint labor.
Kim’s remark comes amid reports of growing food shortages in the country, though North Korea has denied suggestions that it cannot provide for its citizens.
B.C. Begley 