North Korean rice imports dropped sharply in October, following a spike in the month prior which saw shipments increase to their highest levels so far in 2016, Chinese customs figures show.

Following heavy rains and a typhoon which struck the country in late August, the DPRK imported its highest monthly total of rice since August 2014.

But updated figures for October indicate shipments have dropped to pre-September levels. North Korean importers spent $3.6 million on Chinese rice in October, down from over $9 million the previous month.

“From mid-October to early November is the harvest season for