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Potato production in North Korea, is the cultivation of potatoes in North Korea, it is important to the livelihood of the country's people. The crop was introduced into the country in the early 1800s. After the 1990s famine, a potato revolution has taken place. Over ten years, the area of potato cultivation in North Korea has quadrupled to 200,000 ha and per capita consumption has increased from per year. ==History== The cultivation of potatoes in North Korea is an early 19th-century development (probably introduced from China)〔 which until the 1990s was affected by crop diseases, severe weather conditions, poor storage facilities, and lack of modernization resulting in lower yields. Insistence on agricultural ''juche'' (self-reliance) for three decades is also cited as a reason for lower yields. During the occupation of Korea by Japan, from 1910 to 1945, potatoes were the staple crop in the country. During World War II in particular, the potato was the chief sustenance crop as rice was exported to Japan.〔 In a potato poisoning incident between 1952 and 1953, at least 322 North Koreans were affected by the consumption of rotten potatoes. Of these, 52 people were hospitalized and 22 died.〔 The "potato revolution" was initiated in 1999 by Kim Jong-il; potatoes were viewed as a crop of high importance. North Korea was provided aid for potato production by a few humanitarian organisations. Following this initiative, in 1999, 6000 tonnes of seed potato was imported, but this also caused some new diseases. The first hydroponics seed potato farm was established in Pyongyang in 2000, followed by three additional farms in other locations. Along with North Korea's Academy of Agricultural Sciences, World Vision, and the Asia Pacific Peace Committee, which was replaced by the Korea National Economic Cooperation Agency (KNECA), a fifth hydroponic seed potato farm was established in Taehongdan County in 2007, with expectations of boosting potato production quality by 50 percent. In the same year, researchers, Choe Kwi-nam, Han Won-Sik, and Min Gyong-nam visited Finland to study potato farming.〔 Potato production drew the attention of the government and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2008 with a four-year program plan. In includes infusion of $3.5 million to introduce modern methods developed by national and international research institutions. The program, based on climatic conditions of the potato growing regions, was a significant undertaking. Introduction of tested early-maturing varieties of ''Favorita'' and ''Zhongshu No 3'' were planned to be introduced in the southern region and ''Zihuabai'' for the southern and northern highland regions which could increase production levels by about 50 per cent, and with this the expected total yield was 165,000 tonnes.〔 In addition, more land was to be brought under improved crop varieties. Some of the other innovations adopted are introducing seed certification standards, providing farmers with access to CIP's gene bank, introduction of True Potato Seed (TPS) from botanical seed to reduce "carryover" crop diseases in seed tubers, and education of farmers in field schools.〔 Apart from FAO, the Swiss Foundation for Development Assistance (Swissaid), has also supported activities related to improvement of potato seed quality, farming techniques to fight pests, proper use of fertilizers, better warehousing, and training farmers in potato seed production.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Potato production in North Korea」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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