Asia's hunger for bread and pastries boosts wheat demand

Seoul

ASIA is losing some of its appetite for rice in favour of wheat - a trend that is nowhere more pronounced than in South Korea, where bread and pastries have become a new staple.

From working mothers, who find toast more convenient to prepare for breakfast, to city dwellers flocking to new eateries for baguettes, South Koreans are at the forefront of an Asia-wide trend that has seen wheat demand climb at nearly twice the rate of rice consumption since 2008.

And while Asia is largely self-sufficient i…