October 16 is the World Food Day.

Food is an indispensable element for man next to air and water.

Today, however, agricultural production decreases and food price increases in many countries and regions due to the disastrous abnormal weather conditions such as drought, extreme heat and flood, causing a worldwide food crisis.

According to data available, about 28.9% of the world population is suffering from a food shortage. The number of famine-stricken people is increasing every year, reaching hundreds of millions last year. In view of the importance of food, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization defined this year’s theme of the World Food Day as the “Right to Foods for a Better Life and a Better Future,” and called on all countries to orient investment, technological innovations and public cooperation to reforming the agriculture-food system so as to increase production and improve nutrition, environment and living standards for all.

The DPRK is putting great efforts to stabilizing the country’s agricultural production on a high level in the coming several years to solve food problem for the people and provide them with more affluent and civilized living conditions and environment.

The Ninth Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea held in December last year advanced detailed tasks and ways for steadily increasing the agricultural productivity. Accordingly, projects for beefing up agricultural productivity and consolidating material and technical foundations of rural community have been carried out dynamically across the country. A strong wind of scientific farming has been raised and the production of efficient farm machines has increased.

While expanding the area under cultivation by perfecting irrigation system, reclaiming tideland and bringing new land under the plough, the country is directing primary efforts to protecting land.

Meanwhile, it is changing the structure of grain production by expanding the fields for cultivating wheat, and building wheat processing bases in different parts of the country. And greenhouse farms, livestock farms and fruit farms are being newly built or renovated across the country in a bid to provide the people with more meat, vegetables and fruits. It also encourages fishing, fish farming and aquaculture on an extensive scale to increase seafood production.

According to the “Regional Development 20×10 Policy” adopted at the Tenth Session of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly of the DPRK in January, projects are being executed across the country to develop the basic material and cultural living standards of people onto a higher stage at the earliest date possible.

Ham Kwang Hyok