South Korea rice production for the year was recorded at 3,539,000 tons, marking the decline in rice production for the fourth consecutive year. Despite the increase in yield per unit area total south Korea rice production decreased marking a new historic low in the rice cultivation area. Notably, rice is one of the major South Korea crops and a staple food for many. According to the ’2025 Rice Production Survey Results’ released on the 13th by the Ministry of Data and Statistics, south korea rice production for the year fell by 45,000 tons (1.3%) from last year’s 3,585,000 tons.
South Korea Rice Production Declines for the 4th Consecutive Year
South korea rice output has been declining for four years, with decreases of 3.0% in 2022, 1.6% in 2023, and 3.2% in 2024. Notably, rice is one of the major crops grown in South Korea, despite this the continuous decline in rice production is a major concern for the government. This year’s rice cultivation area was 678,000 hectares, a 2.9% decrease from last year’s 698,000 hectares. This is the smallest area since statistics began in 1975.
Further the rice cultivation area has also decreased by 33.3% over two decades, from 1,016,000 hectares in 2003 to 678,000 hectares in 2025. In 2021, however the area of cultivation witnessed a temporary increase of 0.8%. Government policies aimed at preventing oversupply of rice due to decreasing demand of rice within the nation is considered as the main reason behind the reduced cultivation areas. The government is encouraging farmers to grow alternative south korea crops like wheat and soybeans through initiatives such as the Strategic Crop Direct Payment System and the Paddy Field Non-Rice Crop Cultivation Support Project.
Increase in Yield Per Unit Area
Amid the news of low south korea rice production increase in yield per unit area brings a big sigh of relief for farmers. Production per 10a (1,000 square meters) rose by 1.7% to 522 kg, up from 514 kg last year. The Ministry of Data and Statistics explained, “Favorable weather conditions throughout the growth period reduced damage from diseases and pests, leading to higher yield per 10a.” The rate of damage from diseases and pests decreased by 1.9 percentage points, from 11.9% last year to 10.0% this year.
Govt. Focuses on Measures Amid Rising Rice Price in South Korea
Song Mi-ryung, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, stated during a national audit last month, said that We will isolate 100,000 tons of the estimated 165,000-ton surplus from the 2025 harvest.” The government has been implementing a policy to purchase and isolate a certain amount of rice from the market to prevent oversupply.
In this context, last year also the government isolated 260,000 tons, far exceeding the estimated surplus of 56,000 tons. Minister Song acknowledged during the audit that this contributed to raising rice prices by nearly 30% this year. Although the isolation scale was reduced to 100,000 tons this year, concerns remain that continued production declines could sustain upward pressure on rice price in South Korea.
How is Rice Grown in South Korea?
South Korea rice is grown in flooded paddy fields using a single annual crop from April/May (planting) to September/October (harvesting), involving plowing, seeding/transplanting, water management, and pest control, with modern machines aiding traditional methods.
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