On Newly Adopted Agricultural Law
(From Jan. 28, 31 and Feb. 3 issues of the Minju Joson, a state-run paper of the DPRK)
CHAPTER I: Basis of Agricultural Law
CHAPTER II: Agricultural Production
CHAPTER III:
Technical and Material Foundations of Agriculture
CHAPTER IV: Protection of
Agricultural Resources
CHAPTER V: Management of
Agricultural Produce
CHAPTER VI: Guidance to
and Control of Agriculture
The Agricultural Law was recently adopted in the DPRK.
Its adoption has significance in legally adjusting past brilliant results and experiences obtained under the wise guidance of President Kim Il Sung and General Secretary Kim Jong Il, and in intensifying agricultural production capacity suitable for the present demand and enlarging agricultural output.
The Agricultural Law is the basic law of all the agricultural sections.
As the food issue emerges as the most important issue in one's living, the agricultural issue has significance in comprehensively developing the national economy.
The new law, which specifies matters of principle to be adhered to concerning agricultural issues, plays regulatory roles in all the agricultural fields.
The law consists of six chapters with 78 articles.
CHAPTER I Basis of Agricultural Law
Chapter I specifies the mission of the Agricultural Law, agriculture's position in the national economy, results attained in agricultural development, style of agricultural management, agricultural production and managers, and matters of principle regarding the development of agriculture.
It defines its mission as intensifying the technical and material foundations of agriculture, developing agriculture and strengthening the socialist agricultural management system by strictly setting up a system and establishing order for the protection of agricultural resources and control of agricultural produce.
In particular, the issue of establishing a system and order is raised as an important matter in light of the characters of agricultural production, which is influenced by topological and seasonal conditions, and is scattered over wide areas.
The law provides a guarantee to smoothly fulfil its role as a legal means to intensify the socialist farming management system by correctly regulating agricultural missions suitable for the special characters of farming production.
The law also notes agriculture's position and attainments in the past.
As stressed in the law, agriculture constitutes one of the two major sections of the national economy.
Growth of agricultural output will solve the food issue and satisfactorily provide material for industries.
Chapter I also regulates the agricultural management style and masters of agricultural production and management.
In general, the above-mentioned issues are related to the nature of the social system and class character.
The law, which defines the managing styles as state-management and cooperative-management, stipulates that the guiding role of state management should be enhanced and the cooperative managing system should be transferred to the state managing system in accordance with matured conditions and the voluntary will of cooperative farmers.
The law terms the masters of production and management as agricultural workers, stressing that their will, demand, creativity and enterprising spirit should be displayed.
The law mentions other major principles to be adhered to in agricultural development such as developing many-sided agriculture, thoroughly embodying the Juche agricultural method, providing correct state guidance, and activating international exchange and cooperation.
These principles provide a legal guarantee for developing agriculture and intensifying the socialist agricultural managing system, correctly reflecting the policy demand of the party and the state.
All the agricultural officials and workers, and all people should actively contribute toward increasing agricultural output and solving the food issue by accurately grasping the demand of the law and thoroughly implementing it.
CHAPTER II Agricultural Production
Chapter II lays down the principles and methods of increasing agricultural production.
Agricultural produce includes grains, vegetables, craft products, living-stock products, fruits, and cocoons.
The law stipulates that state-run farms, cooperative farms, and organizations, enterprises and groups in charge should work out a realistic plan and do production-organizing work in a proper way.
The law, while putting emphasis on production centering on grain, notes that grain production should be combined and arranged with other production sections to upgrade a general agricultural technical level, and stipulates principles to be observed in the production, supply and utilization of seedlings.
The law also lays down the principles and methods of increasing section-wise agricultural production.
They include enlargement of sown areas, manuring and cultivating crops in a proper way, growth of yield per chonbo on tilled land, acceptance of a multiple cropping method, matters concerning increase in the production of live-stock products, fruit and cocoons.
Along with this, Chapter II mentions some technical issues.
They include observation of the principle of the right crop on the right soil and the right crop in the right time, scientific utilization of water, machines, fertilizer and chemicals, and enhancement of its efficiency, and prevention of insect plague and damage caused by nature.
CHAPTER III Technical and Material Foundations of Agriculture
Chapter III specifies matters concerning the technical and material foundations of agriculture.
The technical and material foundations of agriculture are the precious basis for strengthening the agricultural independence of the country and guaranteeing agricultural production on a high level.
They include management, land reclamation and land utilization, management and utilization of irrigation facilities and equipment, supply of electricity, production and supply of farming facilities, equipment and belongings, production and supply of fertilizers, chemicals and weed killers, production and supply of seeds, feed for livestock, veterinary medicine and fuel, construction work concerning agriculture and matters concerning the scientific and technological development of agriculture.
What is important among the above-mentioned issues is the management, reclamation and utilization of land, basic means of agriculture production.
Chapter III stipulates that state-run farms, cooperative farms, and organizations, enterprises and groups in charge periodically survey and study land and grasp its conditions, and develop a land seeking campaign to obtain new farm land. It also demands that land be periodically analyzed, intentionally improved, and enriched by application of large volumes of organic fertilizer, and that land adjustment and construction be conducted as planned.
All the agricultural officials and workers should contribute to the construction of a powerful socialist nation by decisively increasing agricultural output as the law demands and by intensifying the technical and material foundations of agriculture.
CHAPTER IV Protection of Agricultural Resources
Chapter IV stipulates matters concerning protection of agricultural resources.
Protection of farming resources emerges as an important issue for the safety of agricultural work. Agricultural output will extensively grow when countermeasures against damage, caused by various natural disasters, environmental contamination and other negative factors, are thoroughly established.
Thus, the law defines the protection of agricultural resources as the important method of guaranteeing safety in agricultural production. It demands that ditch-digging, adjustment of banks, afforestation for erosion control, bank revetment be conducted, erosion control forests and tree belts be created, terraced fields be built, and agricultural protection facilities be periodically checked and repaired for the protection of agricultural resources.
Meanwhile, the law stipulates that farming land should not be utilized solely for agricultural production, adding that farming land should neither be deserted nor should it be abused. It demands that the districts, where agricultural resources are required to be protected,, be designated as protection districts or isolation districts to provide conditions for the breeding of creature animals beneficial to soil enrichment and agricultural production, and a weather information system be established to diminish loss caused by natural conditions.
CHAPTER V Management of Agricultural Produce
Chapter V stipulates matters regarding management and preservation.
Putting agricultural produce under good care is the matter of preserving from loss the fruit of farmers' honest labor including grains and of effectively utilizing it for people's living and the development of the national economy.
All the agricultural produce can be dedicated to the people's living and the national economy under the unified state plan without loss when they are managed in accordance with their biological characters, and a strict system and order regarding the matter are established.
Chapter V, reflecting these demands, stipulates that the work to manage agricultural produce is the work to grasp its condition and preserve and dispose of it, adding that its management should be made in accordance with its biological characters.
Along with them, the law demands that agricultural production processes be grasped, such matters as harvesting, threshing, sorting, preservation, transportation, processing and disposal be well controlled, that loss, deterioration and inferiority be diminished, and that agricultural produce be paced as regulated and preserved at facilities, which meet technological and safety conditions.
It also notes that the disposal of agricultural produce should be carried out in accordance with the state plan and contract, and other related laws.
These regulations are an important legal guarantee for the improvement of management of agricultural produce.
The law also specifies matters regarding the inspection, marketing and export of agricultural produce.
CHAPTER VI Guidance to and Control of Agriculture
Chapter VI stipulates matters regarding guidance to, the surveillance and control of agriculture.
What is important in guiding agriculture is to correctly establish a guiding system, grasp all the agricultural production processes, extend a guidance based on science and technology, and manage and operate agriculture in a businesslike way.
The law stipulates that the special bonus system for the work teams and the sub-work-team management system should be correctly implemented and that agricultural produce should be distributed in accordance with the socialist principle of distribution.
The law also specifies matters regarding the supervision and control of agriculture.
We will further develop agriculture, strengthen our socialist agricultural management system and contribute toward the construction of a powerful socialist nation by grasping the content and demand of the Agricultural Law and by thoroughly implementing it.
Copyright © 1999 The People's Korea. All rights reserved.