By Arvin Donley

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — Rice production in South Korea is expected to decline for the fifth consecutive year, according to a report from the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the US Department of Agriculture.

Rice output in the 2026-27 marketing year is expected to drop to 3.5 million tonnes, as the South Korean government continues to incentivize farmers to switch from rice to other crops, the FAS said.

Per capita rice consumption continues to decline in favor of wheat-based foods and meat, putting downward pressure on production. Consumption for human food use continues to decline, falling to 53.9 kilograms in 2025, the FAS said, down from 55.8 kg in 2024 and 56.4 kg in 2023, the report said.

The FAS forecasts that total wheat consumption in 2026-27 will increase to around 3.9 million tonnes, reflecting an anticipated rise in feed wheat use. While food, seed, and industrial (FSI) wheat use is expected to change little year over year, overall variation in total wheat consumption is generally driven by feed wheat demand.

“Strong and persistent consumer preferences for home meal replacement (HMR) products have substituted for direct food use and are expected to sustain the downward trend in table rice consumption while increasing demand for rice used in processing,” the FAS said.

Government transfers of rice into feed use have been the main factor driving year-over-year variation in total rice consumption, the FAS noted. In 2026-27, due to MAFRA’s proactive policies to reduce rice production in line with declining consumption, oversupplied quantities will be limited, reducing the volume of rice available for feed use.

Published Date: April 17, 2026