North Korea’s crop production this year is estimated to have slightly increased from a year earlier on the back of relatively improved weather conditions, data showed.

The combined crop output of the communist nation is estimated to reach 4.64 million tons this year, compared to 4.55 million tons a year earlier, according to the Rural Development Administration.

The production of rice, a key staple food for Koreans, is estimated to have risen 1.8 percent over the period to reach 2.24 million tons on account of sunnier days, the data showed. (Yonhap)