FAO/GIEWS - Foodcrops & Shortages 09/98 - KOREA, DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S

KOREA, DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF* (3 September)

Torrential rains, hailstorms and subsequent flooding in August, are reported to have damaged crops and infrastructure in several parts the country. The damage was severe but localised. More than 40 000 hectares of cropped area have so far been damaged denting earlier favourable prospects for 1998 crops. An FAO/WFP Mission is planned in October to assess the outcome of the main season crops and review the overall food supply situation in the country.

The country's food security remains precarious. In May this year the government appealed for US$300 million from the international community to restore its agricultural sector and end its dependence on food aid. FAO, through its "double cropping programme", has prepared priority project proposals to address simultaneously the need for global increase of food production and the targeting of the most vulnerable farmers and co-operatives.

Total food aid pledges amount to about 880 000 tonnes of which 737 000 tonnes have been delivered.

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