North Korea plans nationwide expansion of Songchon chestnut industry

North Korea is working on a plan to take the cultivation and processing of Songchon chestnuts nationwide.

“While looking for regional specialties that can aid national development, a task force from the Central Committee responsible for promoting the 20×10 Regional Development Policy settled on Songchon chestnuts from Songchon County in South Pyongan Province,” a source in the province told Daily NK recently.

“The Central Committee is focusing on expanding the cultivation and processing of local delicacies to make provincial industries more competitive under the 20×10 Regional Development Policy and ultimately make the provinces self-sufficient,” the source said.

According to the source, the 20×10 Regional Development Policy task force has designated the food industry, and local delicacies in particular, as a key component of provincial industry and began deliberations with South Pyongan Province at the beginning of this month to expand Songchon chestnut cultivation and processing on a trial basis next year.

The task force has focused on Songchon chestnuts, which have thus far only been cultivated around South Pyongan Province, because this chestnut variety is considered suitable for nationwide cultivation and processing in several respects, including its resistance to cold and dry weather and its relatively quick fruiting.

Furthermore, Songchon chestnuts are known for being sweet and flavorful, which has given them an enduring reputation as an outstanding chestnut variety. For these reasons, an industry organized around this chestnut variety is expected to be highly successful.

Seminars focus on cultivation techniques

From Dec. 6 to 8, on-site lectures and seminars about the Songchon chestnut cultivation and processing industries in South Pyongan Province were reportedly organized for administrators and managers. The seminars reportedly covered such topics as improving cultivation techniques, assessing soil suitability, managing soil pH levels, distinguishing chestnut varieties, and methods of harvesting, storage and processing.

The seminars also mentioned designating sections of farms for experimental farming techniques to improve quality and productivity by cultivating improved varieties of chestnuts in addition to the standard variety. The seminars emphasized that when it comes to profitability, chestnut quality is more important than size.

“The 20×10 Regional Development Policy task force said the primary goal is achieving profitability by making processed foods and health foods with Songchon chestnuts and stressed the need for more cooperation between farms and factories and integrated management of production, processing and distribution,” the source said.

“Since returning home, the administrators and managers who attended the lectures and seminars have been reviewing integrated oversight of Songchon chestnut production, processing and distribution and the possibility of extending that to other regions before the Ninth Party Congress. They’ve also been analyzing soil and weather conditions and obstacles to cultivation and setting up a system for distributing economic feasibility and profitability projections to oversight bodies at all levels of the party,” the source added.

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