At present, the ever-worsening abnormal climatic conditions pose big obstacles in the way of agriculture around the world.

In recent years, many obstacles and difficulties have been created in agricultural production also in our country due to heavy rain, drought, typhoon and hail.

Since disastrous meteorological phenomena constitute a major obstacle to agricultural production today, it is important to make them a fait accompli and organize work scrupulously to overcome or minimize their impacts.

Last year, many cities, counties and farms organized farming operations in a foresighted way, introduced advanced farming methods and techniques, put agriculture on an IT basis and carried out irrigation construction in a substantial way, despite unfavourable weather conditions. These units have been selected as the top 10 agricultural counties and top 30 farms in 2024 by actively introducing advanced farming methods and effectively managing business and contributing to increasing the country’s grain production in conformity with geographical features and conditions.

There is no guarantee that the DPRK will be unaffected by disastrous abnormal weather this year.

Meteorologists predict that there may be drought in May and two rounds of typhoon between July and September.

It is necessary to take scientific and technological measures to produce high and stable yields in order to cope with disastrous climatic conditions that are expected this year.

Securing high-yielding seeds, establishing scientific cultivation technology, perfecting irrigation system and providing sufficient farming materials are a sure guarantee for achieving high and stable yield while overcoming the effects of disastrous weather.

It is also important to actively introduce advanced farming methods such as expanding the area of introduction of nutrient cold-bed rice seedlings and introducing scientific water management methods in rice farming. In addition, the ratio of introducing intermediate late ripening varieties, intermediate varieties and early-maturing varieties should be reasonably determined to suit the local climatic and soil conditions in order to ensure the stability of rice farming.

As typhoon and cold damage are expected this year, it is also important to increase the area of cultivation of high-yielding varieties with strong resistance to them and to determine the right sowing time.

The growth of winter wheat and barley should be improved, spring wheat and barley sown in the right season and manuring and cultivation done in a scientific and technical way to prevent the damage by moisture. Wheat sown as the main crop in flooded areas should be harvested before the rainy season.

A system for monitoring and forecasting blight and harmful insects according to the period of growth of crops should be established thoroughly and efforts should be channelled into producing effective vegetable and alternative agrochemicals to promptly control blight and harmful insects.

It is never easy to increase grain production stably since disastrous weather persists. But there can be nothing impossible if we work out scientific plans and direct everything to their fulfilment.

Farming is done by man and science, not by heaven.

Pak Yong Il, deputy department director of the Agricultural Commission