South Korea's Rice Output Falls for Fourth Consecutive Year

Rice output this year kept falling for the fourth straight year. Although there was a rise in yield per unit area, overall production droppe...

Rice output this year kept falling for the fourth straight year. Although there was a rise in yield per unit area, overall production dropped because the area used for rice farming reached another all-time low.

As per the "2025 Rice Production Survey Results" published by the Ministry of Data and Statistics on the 13th, this year's rice output reached 3,539,000 tons, marking a drop of 46,000 tons (1.3%) compared to last year's figure of 3,585,000 tons. This represents the fourth consecutive year of reduced rice production, with declines of 3.0% in 2022, 1.6% in 2023, and 3.2% in 2024.

◇Long-term decline in cultivation area… annual record lows

The area dedicated to rice farming this year reached 678,000 hectares, representing a 2.9% drop compared to last year's figure of 698,000 hectares. This marks the lowest level recorded since data collection started in 1975.

The area dedicated to rice farming dropped by 33.3% over roughly 20 years, going from 1,016,000 hectares in 2003 to 678,000 hectares in 2025. With the exception of a brief rise of 0.8% in 2021, it has experienced a steady decrease each year.

With a consistent decline in rice consumption, government initiatives designed to avoid an excess supply have resulted in a decrease in the area used for rice farming. The government is promoting farmers to grow different crops such as wheat and soybeans in place of rice by implementing policies like the Strategic Crop Direct Payment System and supporting programs for cultivating alternative crops on rice fields.

On the other hand, output per unit area went up. The yield for 10a (1,000 square meters) reached 522 kg, representing a 1.7% rise from the previous year's 514 kg. The Ministry of Data and Statistics stated, "Improved weather conditions throughout the growing season compared to the prior year resulted in less damage from pests and diseases, which contributed to higher production per 10a."

The rate of pest damage dropped by 1.9 percentage points, moving from 11.9% in the previous year to 10.0% this year.

In terms of regions, the highest output came from South Chungcheong with 694,000 tons, followed by South Jeolla with 687,000 tons and North Jeolla with 543,000 tons.

◇Emphasize further actions due to increasing rice costs

The Minister of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs, Song Mi-ryung, mentioned during the national audit last month, "We plan to set aside 100,000 tons from the projected surplus of 165,000 tons for the 2025 harvest." The government has been following a strategy of buying and setting aside a specific quantity of rice from the market to avoid an oversupply.

Last year, the government removed 260,000 tons from the market, significantly surpassing the projected excess of 56,000 tons. Minister Song admitted during the audit that this was a contributing factor to the almost 30% increase in rice prices. Even though the amount isolated was lowered to 100,000 tons this year, worries persist that ongoing decreases in production might result in continued upward pressure on rice prices.

During a field visit to check rice harvesting last month, Minister Song mentioned, "We will reevaluate the balance between supply and demand before February next year and implement further measures that are suitable for the current circumstances," and added, "We plan to greatly increase the budget for the Strategic Crop Direct Payment System and strongly support initiatives that boost consumption related to the production of strategic crops."