South Korea’s rice paddy area decreased 2.6 percent in 2023 from a year earlier amid a reduction in domestic consumption, data showed.

The country’s rice cultivation area came to 708,041 hectares, compared with 727,054 hectares tallied a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.

South Jeolla Province accounted for the largest area at 149,896 hectares, followed by South Chungcheong Province with 131,643 hectares and North Jeolla Province with 107,383 hectares.

Rice is a staple food for Koreans, but its consumption has been on a steady decline in recent decades due mainly to changes in diet and eating habits.

The data also showed the cultivation area of chile peppers came to 27,129 hectares, down 8.9 percent on-year, due mainly to rising production costs. (Yonhap)