By Mun Su-bin

The Ministry of Data and Statistics (MODS) said on the 13th it expects this year’s rice production to come to about 3.51 million tons. That would be the lowest since 2020 (3,505,984 tons).

That day, the national data agency estimated final rice output this year at 3,508,000 tons. It would be the lowest level since 2020, when back-to-back typhoons during the monsoon season drove production to a record low.

Output is seen as having fallen because high heat and drought overlapped in July–August, when rice grows. The nationwide average temperature this summer was 25.4°C, 1.7°C higher than normal. The number of days with precipitation was 31.2, 7.3 fewer than normal. In such hot, water-stressed conditions, the husk of rice thickens and the grain—the edible rice kernel—shrinks in size.

Yield per 10 ares (a) was 523.6 kilograms, higher than the prior year (522 kilograms). Farm-gate rice prices are similar to a year ago. The recent farm-gate price is 57,403 won per 20 kilograms.

An official at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said, “We will closely monitor rice market conditions, including purchase prices for paddy, and pursue supply-and-demand policies that help both farmers and consumers.”

Published Date: November 13, 2026