This Special Alert focuses on the prolonged dry weather which is threateniing the 2017 main season of food crop production in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Prolonged dry weather conditions from April to late June in the main central and southern cereal-producing provinces raise serious concerns about the final production of the ongoing 2017 main cropping season. Rainfall volumes from April to June in key-producing areas were well below the long-term average and lower than the rainfall levels of the corresponding period in 2001, when cereal production in the country decreased to the unprecedented level of around 2 million tonnes (rice in paddy terms), causing a sharp increase of food insecurity levels. If rains do not improve soon, the 2017 cereal output may decrease significantly, further deteriorating the local food insecurity. Immediate interventions are needed to support the affected farmers and prevent negative coping strategies for the most vulnerable households.

The second part of the document analyses the food supply and demand situation in 2016/17. The total cereal import requirements in 2016/17 marketing year (November/October) are estimated at 458 000 tonnes. Assuming the official import target of 200 000 tonnes of cereals is met, there is an uncovered deficit of 258 000 tonnes for the current marketing year. This food gap is lower than the level of the 2015/16 marketing year, but still higher than the 2012/13 and 2014/15 levels.