A Russian region in Siberia sent 540 tons of wheat flour to North Korea this month, marking the first shipment this year as Pyongyang embraces wheat as a key staple.

The flour was produced in the Kuzbass’s Novokusnetsk municipal district and loaded onto trains for subsequent shipment following quality inspections on Jan. 13, 19 and 20, the Siberian branch of the Russian federal veterinary customs agency stated in a press release.

Kuzbass has repeatedly exported wheat flour to North Korea in recent years.

Overall, the DPRK saw a 50% on-year increase in imports of Russian wheat flour to $3.3