This Year, Barley, Potato, Apple, and Pear Cultivation Areas All Decrease... 'Pause' Due to Crop Price Decline

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] As crop prices fall and more farmers take breaks from farming, the cultivation areas of barley, spring potatoes, apples, and pears have all decreased.

According to the "2020 Cultivation Area Survey of Cereals, Spring Potatoes, Apples, and Pears" released by Statistics Korea on the 26th,

this year, the cultivation area of cereals such as hulless barley, rice barley, beer barley, and wheat is estimated to be 40,202 hectares (402.02 km²). This is a decrease of 7,254 hectares (15.3%) compared to one year ago.

Due to inventory, a drop in contract prices from the Nonghyup (National Agricultural Cooperative Federation), and the impact of typhoons during the sowing season, the cultivation areas of hulless barley (2,675 ha, -26.8%), rice barley (3,603 ha, -15.6%), and beer barley (2,464 ha, -23.2%) all decreased simultaneously.

However, wheat, which saw a significant decrease in cultivation area last year (1,487 ha, -39.8%), expanded again due to the base effect.

This year, the cultivation area of spring potatoes is 16,339 hectares (163.39 km²), a decrease of 1,811 hectares (-10.0%) compared to one year ago.

Statistics Korea analyzed that the significant drop in wholesale potato prices last year led farmers to reduce their cultivation areas, and this effect appeared this year.

This year, the apple cultivation area is 31,601 hectares (316.01 km²), a decrease of 1,353 hectares (-4.1%) compared to one year ago. The apple cultivation area has been decreasing every year since it recorded 33,601 hectares in 2017.

The pear cultivation area is 9,091 hectares (90.91 km²), a decrease of 523 hectares (-5.4%) compared to one year ago. The pear cultivation area has also been decreasing annually due to reduced domestic demand after reaching 16,239 hectares in 2010.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.