Reflecting demographic and diet changes, South Korea’s crop yield this year hit 39-year low.

According to Statistics Korea, Korea produced 3.744 million tons of rice this year, down 3.2 percent from a year ago. It was the lowest yield since 3.55 million tons in 1980 when overall rice output declined due to damage from cold weather. It is also the fourth straight year of decline since 4.33 million tons in 2015.

Rice production has remained below 4 million tons for the third consecutive year since 3.972 million tons in 2017.

The annual drop comes as overall area for farming shrank 1.1 percent to 729,814 hectares in 2019. Statistics Korea said that the government has been encouraging farmers to grow crops other than rice as part of diversification, leading to an overall decline in farm area for the staple crop. Land development such as new construction of buildings and public facilities also attributed to reduced area.

By region, South Jeolla Province produced the largest 725,000 tons of rice this year, followed by South Chungcheong Province (709,000 tons), and North Jeolla Province (605,000 tons).

Data showed that rice production per 10a fell 2.2 percent from 524 kilograms last year to 513 kilograms this year.

An unnamed official from Statistics Korea said that rice production per 10a declined from last year due to heavy rain after typhoons Lingling, Tapa, and Mitag hit the peninsula in September when rice begin to ripen and less sunlight.

By Oh Chan-jong and Lee Eun-joo

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]