Drought and the lack of fertilisers are among the main causes. This year’s harvest is the worst of the last 12 years. One third of the population could suffer from hunger, South Korea’s Lee Myung-bak offers aid and security in exchange of mothballing the North’s nuclear programme.

Seoul (AsiaNews/Agencies) – North Korea’s corn yield is expected to fall by 40 per cent, making the country’s food shortages even worse. The North's corn crop for this year is estimated to be less than 1.5 million tons, considerably down from the 2.5 million tonnes it usually garners, The Seoul-based International Corn Foundation (ICF) reported.

"Of all the corn harvests I've seen while visiting North Korea over the past 12 years, this year's crop was the worst," ICF chief Kim Soon-kwon said.

Kim attributed the projected poor crop to a lack of fertiliser and severe drought in July.

The lack of fertiliser is due to the breakdown in inter-Korean relations. South Korea last year did not deliver its usual annual provision of 300,000 tonnes as relations worsened between the two governments.

Overall, North Korea has failed for years to produce enough food to feed its population. This is partly due to national disasters but also to neglect and the regime’s disastrous agricultural policies.

According to International Corn Foundation, at least 70 per cent of the North Korean population relies on corn as a staple food. Thus, the fall in output this year jeopardises food supplies for at least six million people, a third of North Korea’s population.

Despite the threat of hunger, the regime has continues its nuclear programme, after breaking off all talks with South Korea, the United States, Russia, China and Japan.

In return for giving up its nuclear programme, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak is offering North Korea a "grand bargain" that includes aid and security guarantees.

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