North Korea unveiled plans to boostindustrial and agricultural production over the next seven
years and to greatly expand trade with other nations, the
official North Korean Central News Agency, monitored in Tokyo,
reported.
    Prime Minister Li Gun-mo told the eighth Supreme People's
Assembly in Pyongyang agricultural production will rise 1.4
times in the period of the new seven-year plan, the agency
said.
    "For a more satisfactory solution of the problem of food,
clothing and housing for the people, a 15 mln tonne target of
grain will be hit...And 1.5 billion metres of textiles will be
produced annually," he said.
    Annual output of non-ferrous metals will be lifted to more
than 1.7 mln tonnes in the seven year plan, the agency quoted
Li as saying.
    During the previous seven-year plan North Korea achieved
annual output of 10 mln tonnes of grain. Chemical fertilizer
production hit an annual target of five mln tonnes. He did not
provide any other figures.
 REUTER
