A tentative summary of the talk with the two Ministry of Agriculture officials

A tentative summary of the talk with the two Ministry of Agriculture officials:

Mr KIM, Cheolhun & Mr LI, Chadol.


I made a recording of the session, but the recording quality was very poor except for the beginning part where Mr Lee gave a summary of the situation of NK's agriculture. In other parts, he was facing away from where I was sitting, so it was difficult to hear his voice.

Some of you may expand on my summary.

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1] a summary of the situation of NK's agriculture by Mr Lee (The first 10 minutes):
- NK is (80%) mountainous, thus small arable land
- paddy field and dry field. Rice is the most important crop.
- NK needs 8 million tons of grain to be self sufficient.
- NK lacking in fertiliser, vinal,
- needs to import, but not enough money
- KIm Ilsung said "agriculture is the foundation of country."
- four key directions for improvement of productivity:
1) irrigation, 2) electrification, 3) mechanisation, 4] fertiliser
- 60-70s, irrigation pb solved,
- 80s, electrification pb solved.
- but in the 90s, many difficulties: collapse of the socialist market, natural disaster, etc => grain production decreased to 3 million tons.
- then increased to 6 millions
- we aim to increase to 8 millions.
- So, we are not self sufficient now.




new goal: double cropping, potato farming
- fertiliser of own, use coal to make fertiliser
- make machinary here
- but not enough investment
- scientific tech development desired.
- provide farmers with new tech
- will take time
- SRI
- farmers work without machines, difficult.
- science tech, machineries
==


Aiming at 8 million tons rice
natural disaster is the major pb
Rowe: How much rice per person /year?
- Adrian introdues Rowe


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quaker farm mentioned by Roger
long time
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Mr Lee: we need to decide on the areas of cooperation: production, or improving farmer's life
Rowe: ecological farming affects both
Mr Lee: farmers - more interested in increasing production rather than ecology. quality of soil, declining,
In Australian not tilling land, in NK tilling
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can try out in a test farm/demonstration farm.


Cannot hear what Rowe is talking about


Mr Lee: Climate is different between NK and Australia, the method of farming is different too.
Mr Lee: Help from Australia can be in technical area, but/or changing farmer's consciousness.
- Help from Australia can be in the area of animal husbandry, improvement in raising live stock
Adrian: we advocate a an integrated agriculture.
We do not support the method of the mainstream farmers in Australia.
we support sustainable agriculture.


Mr Lee: It takes long time. farmers want to see results quickly.
Rowe: desire to increase productivity in short term may result in decline in productivity long term


Mr Lee: perhaps can try the sustainable farming method by demonstration /in experimental area.


Rowe: soil management, biodiversity important.