PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — Providing enough food to feed the nation is always a struggle for North Korea. But it looks like the residents of Pyongyang won't be lacking for cabbage and vegetables come next month, when the crops will be harvested.

The nation, which suffered a near cataclysmic famine in the 1990s, has since managed to increase its agricultural production to what international organizations believe is closer to the self-sufficiency level than the country has seen in years.

Feeding Pyongyang, the nation's showcase capital and the home of its most privileged citizens, is always a priority.

Since last year, farmers at the Chilgol Vegetable Farm on the outskirts of the city have been using a new mix of fertilizer, said Won Ryong Chon, the cooperative's vice chairman.

He said the cabbage — used to make kimchi, the ever-present Korean condiment — will be harvested early next month.