“In the old days, a magistrate of Pongsan County boasted of stone as there could be found only stones in the place. In Unjong-ri, in particular, there were very few farmhouses as the land was sterile,” said Pak Sang U, an 81-year-old native of the village in Pongsan County, North Hwanghae Province.

But now in the village there is the Unjong Livestock Cooperative Farm which specializes in breeding high-grade animals.

Its major products are kids and lambs, sour milk, yoghurt, milk curd and cheese.

The farm has over 3 200 hectares of natural grassland and 50 hectares of artificial grass fields and the grazing road stretches for 24 kilometres.

It increases the number of improved variety of kids with Boer and others as the parent stock.

“Stock is also essential in raising grass-eating domestic animals. We secure the breeding stock goats and produce healthy kids through artificial insemination,” said Yun Myong Chol, stock recorder of goat branch No. 2.

The farmers channel special efforts into the supply of feed.

According to Kim Yong Sil, head of the branch farm, Boer has a big appetite, so it requires much labour.

As they made a good use of mountains to suit the topography, they created grass fields to get practical benefit. They improved rivers to sow grass seeds well-liked by goats and sheep around them, while creating terraced fields on gentle slopes.

They cultivate Aeguk grass and sugar cane to give animals highly nutritious feeds. After gathering them, they are dried or preserved in salt to get ready hundreds of tons of feed every year.

High protein feeds help increase the output of dairy products and the fattening rate of animals.

Pasturers make an effective use of grazing time.

“Generally, such grass-eating animals as sheep and goat are reluctant to graze at noon in summer as the sun blazes down. So we drive the animals to the cool places near streams so that they can chew the cud,” said pasturer Pak Chun Gyong.

Pasturers adopt the cyclical grazing method to suit the habit of herbivorous animals.

They herd animals along the places where there is plenty of their favourite feeds like arrowroot, acacia, bush clover and soft grass as well.

They also grow herbs to produce veterinary medicines.

The farm is also famous for Pongsan Mask Dance.

The folk dance that dates back to the period of Koguryo Kingdom (227 BC-AD 668) is practised by employees of this farm.

On Sundays or holidays, farmers and their families perform the traditional dance and promote friendly relations with each other.

By Chae Hyang Ok PT