S. Korea's rice production falls for 5th year in 2026 amid changing diets

Korea's rice output experienced its fifth consecutive annual decline in 2026, as data revealed a 0.9 percent year-on-year decrease to 3.5 million tons. This marked the fourth-lowest level since the government started tracking the information in 1965. The cultivated rice area shrank by 1.1 percent year-on-year to 670,000 hectares, the lowest on record. Despite the overall decline, rice yield per 1,000 square meters grew by 0.2 percent year-on-year to 524 kilograms, according to the Ministry of Data and Statistics.

Rice remained a staple food in Korea, but consumption patterns have shifted over the past few decades. The government has been attempting to balance output management with encouraging farmers to diversify into other crops. The decline in production mirrored efforts to adapt to changing dietary habits. South Jeolla Province and Gwangju contributed 736,000 tons of rice, followed by South Chungcheong Province with 681,000 tons, and Northern regions.