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GIEWS Country Brief: Democratic People's Republic of Korea 24-January-2018

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DPRK
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FAO
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FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT

  • Favourable weather conditions at start of 2017/18 winter cropping season

  • Main season cereal production in 2017 estimated at below-average level

  • Cereal import requirements in 2017/18 forecast at above-average level

Favourable weather conditions at start of 2017/18 winter cropping season

Planting of the 2017/18 minor winter wheat and barley crops was completed in November 2017. Remote sensing data indicates near-average precipitation since October 2017 over most of the country, which facilitated planting activities and early crop development. Assuming normal weather conditions for the remainder of the cropping season, current prospects for the 2017/18 winter crops are generally favourable.

Main season cereal production in 2017 estimated at below-average level

Harvesting of the 2017 main season cereal crops was completed in October. A severe dry spell from April to June constrained planting activities of the 2017 main season crops and affected the yields of early-planted crops. Rains resumed in late July 2017 over most cropping areas, significantly improving growing conditions for maize, but were too late to reverse the damages already inflicted by the earlier dry weather to the rice crop. Overall, main season cereal production in 2017 is estimated to be below the average of the previous five years.

Cereal import requirements in 2017/18 forecast at above-average level

The total cereal import requirements in 2017/18 (November/October) are preliminarily forecast at above-average level.

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