In hearty response to his address, the officials and workers in the sector of agriculture are replete with fiery zeal to ramp up the agricultural production this year, a year of key importance in carrying out the five-year strategy for national economic development.

Ju Chol Gyu, department director of the Ministry of Agriculture, told KCNA:

In the period of the 200-day campaign last year, areas for cultivating high-yielding strains and double cropping were increased drastically and a dynamic drive for introducing advanced farming method was launched.

It is the firm resolution of the Workers' Party of Korea to satisfactorily solve the food problem.

The key in solving this problem depends on how our officials make operation and command.

We would make another leap forward in farming this year, keeping in mind that the key for increasing crop yield is to implement the Party's agricultural policy to the last.

To this end, we would raise a strong wind of scientific farming and launch emulation for raising the grain output per hectare in provinces, counties and cooperative farms.

We would do our best to increase the production of fruit, mushroom and vegetable so that the people may substantially benefit from them.

Kim Yong Sun, chairwoman of the Management Board of the Sinam Cooperative Farm in Ryongchon County, said that very high is the zeal of the farmers out in a drive for carrying out the tasks of the New Year Address.

We would decisively increase the grain output per hectare as required by the era of scientific farming.

We would positively introduce the high-yielding strains and scientific farming method whose advantages have already been proved in practice, and thoroughly implement the Party's policy of double cropping.

And we would decisively raise the proportion of mechanization of farm work and thus attain the goal of grain production this year without fail.