Korea's rice output down 1.6% in 2023: data
Rice paddies in the southwestern county of Boseong, Nov. 10 / Yonhap
Korea's rice output fell 1.6 percent this year due mainly to a decrease in cultivation area, data showed Tuesday.
Rice production came to 3.70 million tons in 2023, compared with 3.76 million tons a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.
This year's decline came as the combined size of rice paddies slid 2.6 percent on-year to a record low of 708,012 hectares.
The government has been implementing measures to balance supply and demand of rice, such as giving subsidies to farmers who raise "strategic crops," like wheat, bean and rice flour.
But the output per 100 square meters rose 1.0 percent on-year to 523 kilograms in 2023 on the back of favorable weather conditions in summer, according to the agency.
Rice is a key staple food for Koreans, but its consumption has been on a steady decline in recent decades due mainly to changes in diet and eating habits.
Per capita average annual rice consumption fell to an all-time low of 56.7 kg in 2022, compared with a record high of 136.4 kg in 1970, data showed. (Yonhap)