[Anchor]
Many people these days refrain from eating flour-based foods for diet or health reasons. In contrast, North Korea is actively encouraging the consumption of wheat-based foods and attempting to change its dietary habits.
Reporter Kim Ayeong explains the reasons behind this shift.
[Reporter]
People wearing matching T-shirts with the North Korean flag examine the state of barley and wheat with satisfied expressions.
The report introduces that the wheat harvest has been completed just before the rainy season. Korean Central Television featured this as the lead story in its main evening news on July 6.
The reason wheat farming is being highlighted with such importance is not only because food is critical, but also because it is a matter directly ordered by Kim Jong-un.
[Hong Gang-chol / Professor at the University of People's Economy: The change in our country's grain production structure is imbued with the warm love for the people from the respected General Secretary, who is determined to realize the long-cherished desires of our people in the near future.]
The point when Kim Jong-un began issuing full-scale directives to increase wheat production was in 2021.
Since then, North Korean media has repeatedly ordered that wheat-based foods be placed on dining tables and has frequently explained their benefits.
[Kim Gwan-ho / Researcher at the Rural Development Administration: (At the time) with the COVID-19 pandemic making it difficult to import fertilizers and farming materials from China, wheat had the effect of reducing the need for nitrogen and potassium fertilizers compared to corn. (Also) it allows for double-cropping.]
In line with the 20x10 regional development policy that North Korean authorities have been pushing since 2024, bread products and wheat-based soybean paste are being produced in various local factories.
Beyond the wheat flour produced domestically, it is known that large quantities of Russian wheat flour have also been supplied. A resident in Ryanggang Province reported, "You can often see people carrying bags of bread on the street," and "Some wages are being paid in bread."
[Ishimaru Jiro / Representative of Asia Press: They say that recently, the only things doing well are bread factories. It is said that there are some cases recently where wages are being paid in bread.]
However, it remains uncertain whether domestic production and processing will be able to resolve the chronic food shortage.
According to estimates by the Rural Development Administration, North Korea's wheat and barley production last year was 360,000 tons.
While this is an increase of more than 20% compared to the previous year, it accounted for only 7% of total food crop production.
(Video reporting: Seol Chi-hwan, Video editing: Lee Seung-hee)
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