Rapidly Declining Rice Consumption... This Year, Rice Paddy Cultivation Area to Decrease by 26,000 ha

The government is taking measures to reduce the rice cultivation area in response to the decline in rice consumption. To stabilize rice supply and demand in 2024, it plans to reduce the rice cultivation area by expanding the 'Strategic Crop Direct Payment System,' which provides subsidies to farmers who cultivate so-called strategic crops such as beans and powdered rice instead of rice in paddy fields.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on the 12th, the government intends to reduce the rice cultivation area by 26,000 hectares this year.

This year, the appropriate rice cultivation area is estimated at 699,000 hectares, and considering the rice re-cultivation area (10,000 hectares) and crop condition variables (7,000 hectares), a target to reduce 26,000 hectares has been set. Using the Strategic Crop Direct Payment System, 15,100 hectares will be reduced; 1,000 hectares through local governments' own budgets and rice cultivation area reduction agreements; 2,500 hectares by cultivating other crops on newly secured farmland in the Farmland Bank; and 7,400 hectares through farmland conversion and other means to achieve the target area.

Rice is ripening at the rice farming experience site in Olympic Park, Songpa-gu, Seoul. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

In particular, the support target crops for the Strategic Crop Direct Payment System have been expanded from paddy field beans to all legumes including peas, mung beans, cowpeas, and red beans, and corn has been newly added. The support unit price for legumes and powdered rice has been increased by 1 million KRW per hectare from 1 million KRW to 2 million KRW, and the support area has also been expanded. This aims to proactively reduce the rice cultivation area, induce appropriate rice production, and achieve a twofold effect of stabilizing rice prices and reducing market isolation costs.

Per capita rice consumption has sharply decreased to half over the past 30 years. According to Statistics Korea, last year’s per capita rice consumption was 56.4 kg, which is half of the 110.2 kg recorded 30 years ago in 1993.

An official from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs explained, "With the gradual recovery of daily life after COVID-19, social activities have increased, leading to an overall decrease in meal skipping, and the expansion of the meal kit market has increased home meal consumption, which has somewhat slowed the recent decline in rice consumption."

However, the daily per capita rice consumption is 154.6 g, which is 0.9 g (0.6%) less than the same period last year. This means a family of four consumes less than three 210 g instant rice packs (630 g) sold on the market per day.

Per capita annual rice consumption has steadily declined since peaking at 136.4 g in 1970. It first fell below 100 g in 1998, recording 99.2 g, and has continued to decrease, falling below 60 g in 2019.

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