The number of rice growing households in South Korea fell 3.5 percent on-year in 2011, affected by declining demand for rice in the daily diets of its people, a report showed Sunday.

Rice growing households totaled about 750,000 last year, down from 777,000 a year earlier, according to the report by the farm ministry. It is down 30.4 percent from 1.08 million tallied in 2000.

The decline is attributable to less demand for rice among Korean citizens who tend to replace the staple crop in their diets with fruits and other western-style foods.

Per-capita rice consumption among Korean people averaged at 69.8 kilograms last year, down 2.1 percent from 71.3 kilograms a year earlier, showed a separate report by the Korea Rural Economic Institute.

This marked the first time that per-capita rice consumption has fallen below the 70-kilogram mark.

Demand for rice has been on the decline over the past decade.

In 1999, the average per-capita rice consumption stood at 94.8 kilograms.

The KREI report forecast that rice consumption will shrink further to 68.7 kilograms this year. By 2017 and 2022, the figures will fall to 63.5 kilograms and 58.9 kilograms.

The decline in rice consumption draws a contrast with growing demand for fruits among South Koreans.

Per-capita fruit consumption was forecast to grow to 57.8 kilograms this year from 56.8 kilograms last year. It will likely exceed 60 kilograms in 2017, according to the report. (Yonhap News)