How are farms organized in North Korea’s agricultural cooperatives?

By 1958, all privately owned farms in North Korea were incorporated into more than 3,000 cooperatives. Each of these units typically consists of approximately 300 families working on about 1,200 acres (500 hectares) of land.1

The organization and operation of these farms are structured as follows:

• Management: Farm units are overseen by management committees that issue direct orders to work teams.1
• Planning: These committees establish production quotas and dictate the specific types and quantities of fertilizer and seed to be utilized.1
• Distribution: All produce is delivered to the government, which maintains control over distribution through state-run stores.1
• Labor and Incentives: Farmers are compensated for their labor in money or in kind. While they are permitted to maintain small personal gardens and keep chickens, bees, and fruit trees, the ability to sell surplus produce at local markets has been severely limited by chronic food shortages since the mid-1990s.1

Additionally, the state operates provincial and model farms dedicated to research and development.1