North Korean Farmer Cultivates 20Kg Mushroom following Kim Jong-un Visit

A North Korean farmer is reportedly cultivating giant mushrooms that weigh up to 20kg each. The news follows Pyongyang leader Kim Jong-un's visit to a mushroom factory last month.

Mun Hye-sun, the farmer, is said to have displayed the cluster of mushrooms at a conference hall in the impoverished country's North Hwanghae province.

Mun, who lives in Sariwon City, is believed to be the centre of attention for his farming techniques and the breeding of giant mushrooms, according to China-based Global Times' report. The report comes without any photographs of the mushrooms.

It is believed North Korean farmers in the area are hoping to adopt Mun's techniques. Mun, who has a degree from an agricultural university, has been working on mushroom-breeding techniques for more than a decade.

Mun's alleged success comes as the country's leader urged farmers to make North Korea a "mushroom kingdom". Kim earlier visited the recently inaugurated Posong mushroom farm, run by the Korean People's Army, to learn about harvesting techniques.

"He [Kim] called on the farm to mass-produce fungi to send them to mushroom farms to be built in the future and compile good technical guides for cultivating mushrooms in an industrial method for various units," said state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

North Korea, a famine-plagued nation, has been reeling under heavy sanctions imposed for controversial nuclear programmes.

Meanwhile, a giant mushroom weighing nearly 15kg was discovered in China's Yunnan province and locals believe it could enter the Guinness World Records.