November 17, 2010

North Korea faces 542,000-tonne grain deficit in 2010/11

North Korea is facing a grain deficit of 542,000 tonnes in the 2010/11 marketing year after the government only partially provided for grain import cover, UN's food agencies said Tuesday (Nov 16).

North Korea's grain import requirement in 2010/11 is estimated at 867,000 tonnes, while the government plans to import commercially only about 325,000 tonnes, the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Food Programme said.

"The mission recommended to provide some 305,000 tonnes of international food assistance to the most vulnerable population," the FAO and WFP said after a joint mission to the country.