South Korea’s rice output fell 1.6 percent this year due mainly to a decrease in cultivation area, data showed.

Rice production came to 3.70 million metric tons in 2023, compared with 3.76 million tons a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.

This year’s decline came as the combined size of rice paddies slid 2.6 percent on-year to a record low of 708,012 hectares.

The government has been implementing measures to balance supply and demand of rice, such as giving subsidies to farmers who raise “strategic crops,” like wheat, bean and rice flour.

But the output per 100 square meters rose 1 percent on-year to 523 kilograms in 2023 on the back of favorable weather conditions in summer, according to the agency. (Yonhap)