By Yoon Ja-young
Staff Reporter
Pressured between rising production cost and decreasing income, rice farmers are experiencing difficult times.
According to the National Statistical Office (NSO), the production cost of rice per 10-acre paddy field stood at 607,354 won last year, up 1.2 percent from the previous year. The cost of fertilizer grew notably by 8.7 percent, followed by farming tools at 7.2 percent and pesticides, 5.5 percent.
The cost of producing an 80-kilogram-sack of rice reached 101,491 won, up 7.2 percent from 2006.
Amid growing production cost, farmers are earning less from rice cultivation. Farming households made 246,887 won in net profit per 10-acre paddy field, down 15.4 percent from the previous year. The statistical office explained that the sales price of rice, which grew just 1.4 percent from 2006, was not enough to offset the rising cost of fertilizer, pesticide, or tools.
The ratio of net profit to production cost stood at a mere 28.9 percent for rice farmers, dropping 3.8 percentage points from 2006. The ratio is even lower than other agricultural products. The ratio of net profit to production cost for sesame farmers, for example, was 43.1 percent, and for pepper farmers, 37.8 percent. Those cultivating garlic and onion also had the ratio hover above 30 percent, showing rice farming is becoming less profitable than others.
Rice production last year totaled 4.5 million tons, down 5.8 percent from the previous year.
Rice consumption is decreasing each year as more people choose substitutes such as bread. According to NSO data, Koreans consumed 76.9 kilograms of rice on average last year, 2.4 percent less than a year ago. Rice consumption has been falling each year since 2002, when each person consumed 87 kilograms of rice.
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