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September 20, 2000
Excessive Rain May Affect Rice Crop in South Korea
Typhoon Saomai brought very heavy rain and strong winds to the Korean Peninsula and Japan during the week of September 11 - 17. It was the latest in a series of storms that have affected the region since early August. The heavy rain likely impacted the output and quality of South Korea’s maturing rice crop.
Typhoon Saomai hit the coast of South Korea
near the city of Pusan on Friday, September 15 with heavy rain
and winds of 60 to 75 knots. [Typhoon Map]
Source: Joint Typhoon Warning Center
The storm weakened quickly as it crossed the Korean Peninsula and moved into the Sea of Japan. From Wednesday through Sunday, Typhoon Saomai dropped from 150 to nearly 350 MM (6 - 14 inches) of rain in South Korea and southern North Korea.
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The heavy rain caused local flooding and mudslides in South Korea, particularly in the southern and western part of the country where excessive rainfall has occurred since early August. The Red Cross also reported destructive flash floods in North Korea this month.
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The wet weather is causing concerns about the output and quality of North and South Korea's 2000/01 rice crop, which is now maturing and will be harvested in October. Until early August, rainfall and temperatures had been favorable for the rice crop in South Korea. In contrast, rice in North Korea was affected by unseasonably dry weather throughout the summer.
Rainfall graphs for selected cities - June 1 through September 17, 2000
| Seoul, South Korea | Mokpo, South Korea | Pusan, South Korea |
| Kwangju, South Korea | Seosan, South Korea | Wonsan, North Korea |
Area, Yield, and Production in 2000/01
South Korea's 2000/01 rice crop is currently estimated at 5.15 million tons (milled basis), down about 100,000 tons from last year due to slightly lower estimated area and yield. After declining steadily in the early 1990's in response to government policies, planted area has been stable since 1995. Rice yields have fluctuated from year to year due to variable weather conditions. The unusually low yield in 1993/94 was the result of unseasonably cold temperatures during pollination.
[Historical Area ] [Historical Yield] [Historical Production]
For more information, contact Paulette Sandene with the Production Estimates and Crop Assessment Division on (202) 690-0133.
