Chinese exports of rice to North Korea rose sharply in September, in the same month as the country began efforts to repair damage caused by widespread flooding, data from Chinese customs authorities shows.

The September numbers collated by the Korean International Trade Association (KITA), saw North Korea spending three times as much on rice in September over August. The additional spend meant the DPRK imported 16,000 tonnes of rice, compared to 4000 the previous month.

The larger rice imports followed the August deluge which caused severe damage to housing, infrastructure and crop yields in the DPRK’s