According to a report released Wednesday by the Korea Rural Economic Institute, poor crops last year is expected to leave North Korea going through food shortages estimated at 1.87 million tons this year.

The report said North Korea's major grain supply would amount to 2.92 million tons this year, far short of meeting its requirement estimated at 4.78 million tons. It will have to secure 1.87 million tons from overseas.

The institute said North Korea would have to rely again on humanitarian aids as has been the case for the past five years since it lacks its own means to procure the needed food on a commercial basis.

The institute said North Korea's food situation didn't look good based on surveys conducted by the teams dispatched to the North by the World Food Program (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO) in October last year.