Changes in rice production in Southern China were studied using satellite images from 1990 to 2015. The study found that the practice of growing rice twice in a year decreased, leading to a decrease in rice and grain production. This change mainly occurred in the Middle-Lower Yangtze Plain. The shift from double-cropping to single-cropping rice resulted in a significant reduction in rice production in key provinces. However, utilizing the converted fields effectively could save a substantial amount of money compared to reclaiming new land. The findings suggest that maximizing the use of existing high-quality arable land is more beneficial than creating new low-quality land.