Frequent Heavy Rain Causes 1.1% Decrease in Barley Production... Garlic Production Surges 16.7%

Since last year, garlic production has increased by double digits as prices rose, while barley and onion production decreased due to frequent heavy rains and rising labor costs.

According to the "2023 Barley, Garlic, and Onion Production Survey Results" released by Statistics Korea on the 19th, garlic production this year reached 318,220 tons, a 16.7% (45,461 tons) increase compared to the previous year. The cultivation area slightly increased due to the price rise last year, and the yield per 10a (are, 10a=1000㎡) also grew.

The garlic yield per 10a was 1,288 kg, up 5.6% from 1,220 kg the previous year. Although crop conditions were poor last year due to drought damage, the overall production increased this year with the expansion of cultivation area. The garlic cultivation area this year was 24,700 ha (hectares, 1 ha=10,000㎡), a 10.5% increase from 22,362 ha the previous year.

Gochang Green Barley Field

On the other hand, onion production this year was 1,172,848 tons, down 1.9% (22,715 tons) from 1,195,563 tons the previous year. Statistics Korea explained, "Although the yield per 10a increased by 0.3% due to a decrease in damage ratio compared to the previous year, the overall production declined as the cultivation area decreased by 2.1%."

The onion cultivation area recorded 17,282 ha, a 2.1% decrease from 17,661 ha the previous year, influenced by rising labor costs due to rural aging.

During the same period, barley production also decreased by 1.1% (1,042 tons) to 97,794 tons compared to the previous year. The overall production declined due to poor crop conditions caused by frequent heavy rains during the heading period.

The cultivation area increased by 6.8% to 25,250 ha from 23,639 ha the previous year. This increase is attributed to the implementation of the Strategic Crop Direct Payment System.

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