Korea to cut rice acreage to stabilize prices

• Published date: 08 March 2023
• Publication title: The Korea Times

Korea's agriculture ministry said Wednesday it will push to reduce the rice paddy area by around 5 percent this year to cut rice production amid falling demand for the staple grain.

The ministry said it plans to reduce the rice cultivation area to 690,000 hectares from last year's 727,000 hectares ? about half the size of the U.S. state of Connecticut ? by encouraging farmers to raise wheat, beans and other crops instead of rice.

The move is expected to help ensure stable rice prices.

Last year...