The Pyongyang International Agriculture and Foodstuff Exhibition opened with due ceremony at Pyongyang Indoor Stadium on Monday.

The first of its kind in the country, it drew over 60 local and foreign companies including those from China.

Pak Ung Sik, director of the Korea International Exhibition Corporation which hosted the event, in his opening address, said that it is the mission of the businesspeople of all countries to overcome the worldwide food crisis and attain sustainable development of self-sufficient agriculture. The KIEC will always play a leading part in developing multilateral economic transactions and exchange of science and technology in the fields of agriculture and food industry between the DPRK and other countries of the world, he noted.

Presented to the exhibition were agricultural products and foodstuffs based on latest sci-tech hits and relevant scientific and technological data.

Among them were honeys collected from Mts Kumgang and Chilbo, celebrated mountains of Korea, tea made from the famous Kaesong Koryo Insam, Ganoderma and other agricultural produce, sodium diacetate which preserves freshness of food without freezing and other natural green products and a variety of processed and health foods.

The Mandok Trading Company brought out nano bio-calcium growth tablets, arthritis pills and anti-thrombus blood-purifying health pills. According to researcher Kim Nam Hui, the anti-thrombus blood-purifying pill won the first prize at an international expo in 2017.

Kim Kang Ho, manager of the Pyongyang Taehung Trading Company, said that the exhibition was held in a fresh style as it focused on agriculture and food. The company exhibited growth-promoting nutritional jam No. 2 which ensures growth of people’s stature until they are 30, floret drink which is good for preventing gastric ulcer, cerebral thrombosis and hypertension and a functional condiment flavoured with Korean bean paste.

“I often take part in international trade fairs in Pyongyang and this time we’ve presented canned fruits and soy sauce and other condiments of the Chongqing Dengdingji Food Co. LTD and China Best Food Group,” said Wang Xiaoyan, CEO of a Chinese exhibition company. “We want to let Pyongyang citizens sample our foodstuffs and comment on them and conduct exchange activities in this field. We love Korean rice cake, cold noodles and kimchi as well as bean paste. And we want to publicize the Sichuan food which is well known across China and over the world.”

“It is my first visit to the DPRK and the Korean people are very friendly and enthusiastic,” said Zhu Haiyang, CEO of the Yancheng Foreign Machinery Parts Co. LTD. His company brought designs for agricultural machinery and generators in the hope of enhancing cooperation in the agricultural field with the DPRK, he said.