General Information
· Main climates: Temperate Continental
· Total land area: 12 041 000 ha
· Internal renewable water resources: 67 km3
· GNP per capita, 1998: PPP$ -
· Main food consumed: Rice, Maize, Roots and Tubers, Wheat, Pulses
· Rice supply, 1999: 113 kg paddy/capita/year
Basic Statistics:
|
|
1985 |
1990 |
1995 |
2000 |
|
RICE |
|
|
|
|
|
Harvested area (T ha) |
670 |
650 |
582 |
535 |
|
Yield (kg/ha) |
5027 |
5492 |
3463 |
3158 |
|
Production (T t) |
3368 |
3570 |
2016 |
1690 |
|
Imports (T t) |
0 |
27 |
587 |
NA |
|
Exports (T t) |
200 |
43 |
0 |
NA |
|
OTHERS |
|
|
|
|
|
Population (M) |
18.94 |
20.46 |
22.23 |
NA |
|
Agr population (M) |
7.84 |
7.77 |
7.55 |
NA |
|
Irrigated agr area (T ha) |
1270 |
1420 |
1460 |
NA |
|
Fertilizer cons (T t) |
844 |
832 |
104 |
NA |
|
Agr tractor in use (T units) |
68 |
73 |
75 |
NA |
Producing Zones and Cropping Seasons
The following table shows the rice-harvested areas in different zones.
|
|
Harvested area (% total harvested area) |
|
South Hwangae |
25 |
|
North Pyongan |
17.5 |
|
South Pyongan |
16.4 |
|
South Hamyong |
10 |
|
North Hwangae |
8.3 |
|
Kangwon |
6 |
|
Pyongyang |
4.4 |
|
North Hamyong |
3.8 |
|
Nampo |
2.6 |
|
Kaesong |
2.1 |
|
Chagang |
1.1 |
|
Ryangang |
0.3 |
|
Other |
2.5 |
Rice is grown once a year as shown in the following table.
|
|
Planting |
Harvesting |
|
Main season |
5-6 |
9 |
Production Practices
The following figure shows the harvested area from different rice ecologies during the last five years.
Due to short growing season, no other crop is normally grown after rice. Efforts, however, have been given to the introduction of double cropping (rice-other crops) system. Manual transplanting is the main method of crop establishment. Most rice varieties planted in the country belong to japonica sub-species. The following table shows the known planted rice varieties.
|
Variety Name |
Growth duration (days) |
|
Pyonyang 15 |
130-140 |
|
Pyonyang 21 |
130-140 |
|
Pyonyang 18 |
|
|
Soetang 2 |
|
|
Son Sin |
|
|
Unchon 6 |
|
|
Yomju 14 |
135 |
|
Hamzu |
130-140 |
|
Pyonbuk |
130-140 |
It is estimated that more than 80 percent of the area under rice is planted to Pyongyang 15, Pyongyang 18, and Pyongyang 21. In the past, farmers generally applied fertilizers to rice. However, the rate and frequency of fertilizer application in rice production have been significantly reduced due to the deterioration in the national economy.
Constraints and Issues of Sustainable Production
Deteriorated conditions of irrigation structures.
Heavy rains and storms in July and August.
Low temperatures.
Rice in some coastal areas is affected to some extent by the incursion of tidal waves following typhoon.
Weeds, blast, bacterial blight, stem borer and water weevil.
Sustainable rice production in the country needs a clear national policy and appropriate programmes. Rice production requires a new generation of rice varieties with higher yielding potential. The development of early maturing and high yielding such as the Tongil-type rice varieties could help to increase rice yield and production as well as crop intensification through rice-other crops system in the immediate future.
Research and Development Institutes
· National Academy of Agricultural Sciences Ryongsong District Pyongyang
· Pyongyang Basic Seed Farm Pyongyang
· Sinuzu Basic Seed Farm Sinuzu
· Agricultural Commission of D.P.R. Korea Pyongyang
· National Crop Experiment Station, Rural Development Administration, 209 Seodun Dong, Suweon 441100, Korea
