The 'Luxury Fruit' Once Too Expensive to Eat... Even After Dropping from 30,000 to 10,000 Won, Shine Muscat Grapes Remain Unsold—What's Happening?

Quality Declines Due to Early Shipment, "Not Sweet and Bland"
Concerns of Further Price Crash from Chuseok Holiday Shipment Surge

Once known as a “premium fruit” and commanding high prices, Shine Muscat grapes have seen a steep drop in value over the past several years. The surge in the number of growers has led to oversupply, and with the primary shipping season now overlapping, there are concerns about further price declines.

According to aT Agricultural Products Distribution Information on September 2, the retail price of a 2kg box of Shine Muscat grapes in September stood at 16,572 won. This represents a plunge of 41.1% compared to 28,113 won in September 2023, three years ago, and is also 27.6% lower than the average price of 22,879 won. The average retail price in August was only 19,497 won, a drop to around half the level of 36,905 won recorded in August 2023.

Supply Surging and Early Chuseok... 'Shipping Bomb' Fears Intensify

The main reason for the price drop is the rapid increase in both cultivation area and production volume. In addition, the early shipping of under-ripe fruit—before proper quality has been achieved—has mixed in with the market supply, leading to declining consumer confidence and further contributing to price drops.

Hyundai Department Store is measuring the sugar content of Shine Muscat grapes. Yonhap News Agency

The problem is that the decline in prices may not end here. From this month, as outdoor and rain-sheltered crops start entering the market in earnest, supply pressures are expected to intensify even more.

This year in particular, the risk of a sudden glut is higher because the Chuseok holiday falls earlier than usual, concentrating shipments within a short window. In North Gyeongsang Province, which accounts for 60% of the nation’s total grape production and is the largest production region, 77% of the entire grape growing area is devoted to Shine Muscat, making the region especially vulnerable to price shocks.

Amid growing concerns over a further price collapse due to increased shipments, North Gyeongsang Province held an emergency meeting that day to discuss measures to improve the Shine Muscat distribution system. In response, local growers agreed to maintain an appropriate fruit set, and to ship only grapes that meet the strict criteria of at least 16 Brix sugar content and bunches weighing between 400 and 1,000 grams.

In addition, agricultural cooperatives and local distribution centers plan to rigorously inspect quality from the early intake stage, ensuring Shine Muscat grapes that do not meet standards are strictly excluded from entering the market.

Blocking Substandard Grapes and Betting on 'Variety Diversification'

Lotte Department Store is introducing the new red grape variety 'Glory Star'. Yonhap News Agency

Efforts are also underway to prevent September’s shipments from flooding the market all at once, by utilizing cold storage facilities to stagger the shipping schedule. Additionally, there are plans to stamp out the practice of shipping unripe fruit prematurely, aiming to break the vicious cycle in which low-quality products drag down the overall market price.

Red Claret variety eaten with the skin on, seedless. Screenshot from Green Village product page.

Moves are also being made to overhaul the production structure. To disperse the already excessive concentration on Shine Muscat, new varieties are being promoted, such as Glory Star (a new red grape with larger berries and a sweeter taste than Shine Muscat) and Red Claret (a seedless red grape eaten whole with skin).

Expanding into overseas markets is also a priority. Targeting Taiwan, the United States, Canada, and other destinations, the goal this year is to reach 10,000 tons in exports and 80 million dollars in export income. In fact, in the first half of this year, exports totaled 2,071 tons and 16 million dollars, marking an 85% increase in volume and a 44% jump in value compared with the same period last year.

At the same time, efforts are being made to further improve the distribution structure. A joint business entity will serve as a hub for connecting shipments from local agricultural cooperatives through an integrated order and supply system, while large-volume buyers such as processing companies and school meal services will be actively sought out.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.