Despite North Korea’s repeated emphasis on agricultural mechanization, farmers continue to depend on basic hand tools like shovels, hoes, pickaxes and sickles. With rice planting season underway, farm tool prices are surging due to high demand, adding financial strain on farmers.
A Daily NK source in North Pyongan province reported recently that farm implement prices had jumped as much as 33% by May compared to early 2025, varying by item.
Domestically-made shovels climbed 33% from 6,000 to 8,000 North Korean won, while hoes and sickles increased about 20% from 2,500 to 3,000 won. Chinese-made shovels rose roughly 11%, from 11,500 to 12,800 won.
The following graph shows price changes for major farm tools in Sinuiju, North Pyongan province.
“Prices always go up during farming season, but this year demand for farm tools in agricultural areas has been especially strong, with prices starting to spike in March,” the source explained.
This reality stands in sharp contrast to Kim Jong Un’s “agricultural modernization” policies, which promote farm equipment delivery and model mechanized farms. In practice, however, actual farm machinery provision remains inadequate. A single cultivator costs around $1,500, making it unaffordable even for collective farms, leaving farmers “100% dependent” on simple hand tools, as they put it.
Purchasing farm tools isn’t difficult—domestic steelworks mass-produce them for farming seasons, ensuring adequate supply. But rising demand drives up prices, and high-quality Chinese tools, which are scarce, sell out quickly.
Farmers call for production improvements
Farmers have shown mixed reactions to these conditions. Since Kim Jong Un introduced the bunjo management system, which allows farmers to keep agricultural surpluses, they’ve become more willing to invest in fertilizers and equipment. Still, many complain that farming communities “continue to suffer the most.”
Most farmers believe they need “tools they can use immediately rather than expensive machines.” Some argue that in the long run, “meaningful production improvements will only happen when farmers can work independently as individuals, not as state entities.”
North Korea has consistently prioritized boosting agricultural output since 2022, making rural prosperity a key state objective. However, the gap between official rhetoric and ground-level reality remains wide, with farmers facing ongoing challenges from inefficient production methods and systemic constraints.