SEJONG-- South Korea's rice paddy area inched down 0.7 percent in 2022 from last year as farmers opted to grow other crops due to falling prices of the staple grain, data showed Tuesday.

The country's rice cultivation area came to 727,158 hectares -- slightly more than half the size of the U.S. state of Connecticut -- this year, compared with 732,477 hectares a year earlier, according to the data compiled by Statistics Korea.

It represents a turnaround from last year's first on-year increase in 20 years.

The government has been prodding farmers to convert their rice paddies into fields for the cultivation of other crops as part of a greater effort to deal with a chronic supply glut, which has led to a downtrend in rice prices.

Wholesale rice prices have averaged nearly 49,800 won (US$37) per 20 kilograms this year, down sharply from about 57,170 won last year due to falling consumption.

Rice is a key 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.

Source: Yonhap News Agency