No. 182 August 2008
Do Not Leave Any Flood-Affected Land Empty by Planting Vegetable
The More Downpour, the Tougher Life is Expected Next Year
Jungpyong County of South Hamgyong Province Concerned about Decaying Potatoes in Rains
(Image by Google earth)
Do Not Leave Any Flood-Affected Land Empty by Planting Vegetable
Kaesong city, provided with transportation vehicles from Sariwon, is busy restoring the flood-affected areas; mobilized residents and soldiers are digging heaps of earth for road maintenances and restoring houses. The flood has disrupted the market and convenience facilities. Meanwhile, city officials have held an emergency meeting and emphasized, “By planting vegetables where harvest seems impossible, do not leave any land empty.” It is anticipated that the flood-hit areas are so severely damaged that their harvests will be seriously affected.
The More Downpour, the Tougher Life is Expected Next Year
Other areas of Hwanghae Province are relatively less affected than Kaesong city. However, the flood severely damaged the farmlands of Sariwon, Bongsan County, and Munmu-ri of Suhheung County in North Hwanghae Province. One official at Sariwon is gravely concerned and said, “The areas in North Hwanghae Province were so seriously damaged last year that harvests were drastically reduced in fall. This flood makes me just gloomy; this summer has not been over yet; if it downpours like this a few more times, nobody can be sure whether grain can be harvested or not. It is frightening to imagine the future. This year has been already tough enough for farmers, but it seems they will have much tougher times next year.” A 48-year-old Lee Mi-ok living in Haeju of Hwanghae Province is also seriously worried and said, “This year’s farming has also been almost ruined; if heavy rains pour along the West Sea again like the previous one, obviously it will be difficult to save grain properly. Fertilizers piled up on the road all got wet, so they might have gone useless. We are always short of fertilizers; on top of that, we have lost them all! No idea why this happened.”
Jungpyong County of South Hamgyong Province Concerned about Decaying Potatoes in Rains
Continuous rain made it impossible to harvest potatoes on time in Jungpyong County of South Hamgyong Province. Residents in this area are gravely concerned about decaying potatoes. A 41-year-old Kim Ok-wha makes a long face and says, “We’ve got to survive on potatoes before the harvest of corn; if potatoes go rotten, I have no idea what to survive on.”
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