North Korea is likely to see its food production fall by up to 20 percent this year from 2014 if a shortage of rainfall continues until early July, a Unification Ministry official said Tuesday.
  

In May, precipitation in North Korea reached 57 percent of the average rainfall recorded between 1981 and 2010, according to the official.
  

In 2014, the North reported its smallest rainfall in 15 years and the United Nations has warned that North Korea is likely to suffer from serious food shortages this year due to drought.
  

North Korea's crop production could decline by 15 to 20 percent this year compared to last year if it continues to see a rainfall shortage until early July, the official said.
  

The North is expected to see its food production fall by only 5 to 10 percent if the lack of rainfall continues into early June. In that case, North Korea is believed to be focusing on producing maize as an alternative to rice.
  

"This year, the supply of fertilizer is not smooth, compared with last year," said the official, asking not to be named.
  

The North has relied on international handouts since 1995 to help feed its people in the face of chronic food shortages.
  

A U.N. report showed that about 70 percent of North Korea's 24.6 million people suffer from food shortages and 1.8 million, including children and pregnant women, are in need of nutrition.
  

Last year, the North suffered from a severe drought in the spring, but managed to produce crops at a level similar to that of 2013 due mainly to the use of preserved water.
  

The official said that the North's agricultural reforms might have helped it maintain the food production last year, but this year's situation may bode ill, given that fertilizer availability is worse.
  

In 2012, the North announced the so-called "6.28 measures" that centered on allowing farmers to keep 30 percent of their production quota plus any excess over the quota. Last year, it unveiled a new set of reforms that call for raising the farmers' portion to 60 percent. (Yonhap)