North Korea's rice production this year is expected to be about the same as last year, a U.N. report said Sunday, reinforcing forecasts that grain production will not fall despite a severe drought in the country.



Rice production this year is estimated at 1.9 million tons, the same level as last year, while maize and pork production are expected to increase slightly to 2.3 million and 114,000 tons, respectively, according to the October edition of Food Outlook, a biannual publication of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).



In May, the FAO estimated the same production levels for North Korea, with the exception of pork, which was forecast at 113,000 tons.



With this year's rice production, each North Korean is expected to eat 67.8 kilograms of rice between this fall and next summer, according to the report.



North Korea has long been a recipient of international food aid due to shortages caused by droughts, flooding and poor economic management.



However, the FAO representative in North Korea recently said in an interview that the country is projected to produce 6 million tons of grain this year and attain self-sufficiency in food within three to four years.(Yonhap)

