South Korea's rice oversupply, North Korea's poor harvest
South Korea has a rice oversupply, North Korea faces a poor grain harvest
(Agricultural Wealth Network) Just as the South Korean government is struggling with how to solve the problem of rice oversupply, North Korea is facing its most serious grain harvest failure in recent decades.
Data released by the South Korean government yesterday shows that South Korea's rice production this year was 1.5% higher than last year, reaching 4.91 million tons; in order to keep rice prices stable, the Ministry of Agriculture has agreed to purchase 710,000 tons of that rice from local farmers.
An official from the Ministry of Agriculture who did not wish to be named pointed out that South Korea currently has 840,000 tons of strategic rice reserves.
Because South Koreans have begun to eat more vegetables and meat, local demand for rice has also been continuously decreasing, and in 2007 it hit its lowest point.
In the past, the South Korean government would send 400,000 tons of rice and 300,000 tons of fertilizer to North Korea every year. However, after the current conservative government came to power last year, it no longer provided this aid to North Korea, and the rice stockpiled by South Korea has also grown larger and larger.
Experts say that severe weather has damaged North Korea's rice and corn production, and the local food shortage problem may become more serious in the next few years.
The South Korean welfare organization "Good Friends" pointed out that North Korea is facing its most serious grain harvest failure in recent decades.
North Korea experienced a great famine in the 1990s, which caused thousands upon thousands of people to starve to death. Since then, North Korea has been relying on foreign food aid.
The head of the organization said that the local food shortage and famine problems have attracted increasing attention. But he does not believe that the famine that occurred in the 1990s will happen again, because many North Koreans know how to cope with this kind of crisis.
What he means is that local people used to rely more on the government's food rationing, but now they have begun to buy food from private markets.
Data released by the South Korean government yesterday shows that South Korea's rice production this year was 1.5% higher than last year, reaching 4.91 million tons; in order to keep rice prices stable, the Ministry of Agriculture has agreed to purchase 710,000 tons of that rice from local farmers.
An official from the Ministry of Agriculture who did not wish to be named pointed out that South Korea currently has 840,000 tons of strategic rice reserves.
Because South Koreans have begun to eat more vegetables and meat, local demand for rice has also been continuously decreasing, and in 2007 it hit its lowest point.
In the past, the South Korean government would send 400,000 tons of rice and 300,000 tons of fertilizer to North Korea every year. However, after the current conservative government came to power last year, it no longer provided this aid to North Korea, and the rice stockpiled by South Korea has also grown larger and larger.
Experts say that severe weather has damaged North Korea's rice and corn production, and the local food shortage problem may become more serious in the next few years.
The South Korean welfare organization "Good Friends" pointed out that North Korea is facing its most serious grain harvest failure in recent decades.
North Korea experienced a great famine in the 1990s, which caused thousands upon thousands of people to starve to death. Since then, North Korea has been relying on foreign food aid.
The head of the organization said that the local food shortage and famine problems have attracted increasing attention. But he does not believe that the famine that occurred in the 1990s will happen again, because many North Koreans know how to cope with this kind of crisis.
What he means is that local people used to rely more on the government's food rationing, but now they have begun to buy food from private markets.