SEOUL, South Korea — Flooding in North Korea caused by torrential rains has killed 88 people and left 63,000 homeless, the country’s state-run Korean Central News Agency reported.

About 74,700 acres of farmland were said to have been damaged by 10 days of flooding, according to the agency’s report on Saturday.

Agricultural experts said North Korea remained ill-prepared to deal with floods and droughts, as well as the food shortages they cause.

This is because of a combination of factors: a dysfunctional state rationing system, deforestation, soil erosion, poor road conditions and a lack of fertilizers, fuel, pumps and other farm machinery.