著者

朱 宗桓

出版者

日本農業経済学会

雑誌

農業経済研究 (ISSN:03873234)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.62, no.2, pp.86-94, 1990-09-26 (Released:2019-03-19)

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This paper attempts to briefly observe and analyze the past and the present situation of the rice economy of South Korea and give future perspectives. 1) Historically, the rice cuItivated in South Korea has been exclusively the Japonica type. 2) During the period of 1915-1933 under Japanese colonial rule, rice production increased about 27%, while the per capita rice consumption decreased about 37%. This was brought about by the semi-feudal tenant system, which had an extremely high rate of rent reaching more than 50% of the gross harvest. 3) In 1949, after World War II, South Korea launched the Land Reform. It contributed very much to the boost of rice production in the 1970s and 1980s. 4) Up until the 1960s, South Korea imported a large quantity of food grain from the United States under the PL480 programs and this brought about a stagnation of the increase of rice production. 5) During the period of 1960-1973, the total production of rice stagnated at the level of 4 million M/T on a hulled rice basis, except for 1969. After 1975, however, new varieties of rice were extensively introduced, and the total production was raised to the level of 6 million M/T. In 1962 the yield per 10 a was only 266 kg, but it was raised to 494 kg in 1977, and in the 1980s it maintained the range of 410-440 kg. The proportion between the new varieties and the conventional ones once reached a peak of 76 : 24 in 1978, but it had reversed to 18 : 82 in 1988. 6) The per capita consumption of rice was more than 130 kg in the 1970s and in 1980, but it has been gradually and consistently decreasing in recent years, down to nearly 120 kg. 7) In spite of the government's consistent effort to enlarge farm size, the average paddy size still remains at the level of 0. 74 ha in 1988. In recent years, however, policy efforts are being pursued to enlarge the farm size by integrating farmland by allowing the lease of them as well as by supporting young successors to enable them to buy more land. 8) As the rural exodus is rapidly proceeding, farm mechanization is gradually increasing. However, productivity of the rice production in Korea is not foreseen to be raised to an internationally competitive level in the near future. 9) Since rice has been the most important staple food, the production of rice should be preserved for a considerable length of time, especially for maintaining national security in the midst of the vulnerabilities and uncertainties of the international rice markets.