Kim Han-joo

SEOUL, Oct. 2 (Yonhap) — South Korea’s rice output is projected to fall for the fourth consecutive year in 2025 primarily due to a record low cultivation area, data showed Thursday.

Rice production is expected to fall 0.3 percent on-year, or 1.1 tons, to 3.57 million tons this year, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Data and Statistics.

This would mark the second-lowest annual production level on record, following the 3.51 million tons recorded in 2020.

The expected decline this year comes as the total size of rice paddies slid 2.9 percent on-year to a record low of 678,000 hectares. It is the smallest figure since the agency began compiling relevant data in 1975.

Despite a drop in overall output, output per 100 square meters is expected to increase 2.7 percent on-year to 527 kilograms this year, according to the ministry.

Rice remains a staple grain in South Korea, but its consumption has steadily declined in recent decades due to shifts in dietary preferences and eating habits.

Published Date: October 2, 2025