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Rice production falls for fourth consecutive year

Published: 13 Nov. 2025, 15:37 Updated: 13 Nov. 2025, 16:31

Sacks of rice are piled up at a large supermarket in Seoul on Nov. 4. [NEWS1]

Korea’s rice production this year is estimated at around 3.54 million tons — a slight decline from last year's output and the second-lowest level on record.

The country produced 3,539,000 tons of rice in 2025, down 1.3 percent from the previous year, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics.

This marks the fourth consecutive year of decline in rice output, with the lowest level recorded in 2020 at 3,507,000 tons.

The primary reason for the decrease was a reduction in cultivation area. This year's cultivation area comprised 678,000 hectares (1.6 million acres), down 2.9 percent from last year and the lowest level recorded since data collection began. The decline is also attributed to government efforts to stabilize the rice supply through an appropriate production policy.

The Data Ministry noted that the actual decline in production was steeper than the preliminary estimate released last month, which had predicted a 0.3 percent drop.

“Frequent rainfall and the spread of diseases like rice kernel smut were key contributing factors,” the ministry said.

On the other hand, crop yield — the amount harvested per specified land measurement — improved. Output per one acre reached 2,088 kilograms (4,603 pounds), up 1.7 percent from the previous year. Favorable weather conditions throughout the growing season, as well as a reduction in crop diseases and pest damage, contributed to the increase.

By region, South Chungcheong led rice production with 694,000 tons, followed by South Jeolla with 687,000 tons and North Jeolla with 543,000 tons.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]