▲ This file photo, provided by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency, shows an exhibition of flour-based dishes in Pyongyang on Nov. 5, 2024. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

N Korea-harvest

N. Korea boasts of rich wheat harvest despite int'l concerns about food shortage

SEOUL, July 20 (Yonhap) -- North Korea said Sunday it expects this year's wheat harvest to be more than triple that of 2021.

In a front-page story, the Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper, wrote that harvests of wheat and barley exceeded the national grain production plan.

"The wheat cultivation area is growing every year, and this year alone, it increased by over 30,000 jongbo from last year," the paper said, referring to a unit equivalent to about 10,000 square meters.

Despite the North's claims, international agencies have reported chronic food shortages in the country.

In March, the Food and Agriculture Organization designated North Korea as a country in need of outside food aid for the 19th consecutive year.

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