An international organization says the April-to-September main crop season in North Korea has been one of the wettest rainfall periods since 1981 across the country's southern grain-producing provinces.

In a special report posted on its website Wednesday, the Switzerland-based crop monitoring group GEOGLAM said the majority of the rainfall was received in August, causing widespread flooding and inundating main season crops ready for harvest in September.

The report said the rainfall was followed by Typhoon Bavi which brought further heavy rains as well as high winds to Hwanghae and Pyongan provinces, increasing concern for a reduced harvest and potential food supply shortage this year.

It said two additional typhoons made their way towards the Korean Peninsula in the first week of September, bringing more rain and increasing the risk of additional flood damage.

The report said that North Korea continues to take drastic action against the coronavirus, keeping its borders closed even to China and rejecting flood relief to prevent transmissions.  

With flood damage and the virus threat, GEOGLAM forecasts the food shortage situation will worsen this year. 

GEOGLAM is a global agricultural monitoring initiative established in 2011 by the agriculture ministers of the Group of 20 countries.