economy

The Mangyongdae District Rural Economy Committee of Pyongyang Municipality which was selected as one of the top ten agricultural counties in 2025 is increasing grain production by dint of scientific farming.

While reaping rich harvests for several years, they have experienced in practice that farming should be done in a scientific way in order to minimize the damage to crops and produce high and stable yields under the present situation in which the effects of disastrous abnormal climate get more serious.

“Now all farms in the district have introduced such scientific farming methods as growing rice seedlings in greenhouses and by using non-soil substrates and wheat transplanting, which are bringing great benefits to farms,” said Pak Song Chol, vice-chairman of the Mangyongdae District Rural Economy Committee.

The method of growing rice seedlings in greenhouses has been introduced into the district since 2024 and has proved effective.

In April last year, a sudden, heavy snowfall and strong wind created unfavourable conditions for sowing. Notwithstanding this, they grew healthy rice seedlings in greenhouses and finished rice-transplanting in the right season, and markedly increased the grain yield per hectare.

According to Pak, before the introduction of the method, they consumed much labour and 41 hectares of land to raise rice seedlings. But now, they need some ten farmers and four hectares. After transplanting, they plant vegetables in the greenhouses to earn extra profits.

In addition, the use of non-soil substrates helped save labour, vehicles and fuel, which were needed in securing thousands of tons of soil, and also prevent desolation of soil. And the new wheat-transplanting method helped expand the area of double cropping and increase the per-hectare yield while reducing the consumption of seeds to one third.

This year, the district finished rice-transplanting in the main area of all farms by May 24 by pushing it ahead at a faster rate than the same period of last year.

“All work has become easy since we relied on scientific farming,” said Jong Yong Gum, farmer of the Mangyongdae Vegetable Farm. “Now all farmers are glad that they do not have to do such laborious works as securing soil, managing seedbeds and plucking rice seedlings but work with machines and on a scientific basis.”

She said that everyone is working hard to learn scientific farming methods that make farm works easier, increase the grain production and give them bigger shares in income distribution.