Hermes of the grape family

These days, Campbell grapes are no longer readily available even in summer. Farmers are giving up on the difficult-to-grow Campbell and are shifting towards Shine Muscat.

On the 25th, an employee at a large supermarket in Jung-gu, Seoul, was organizing fruits and said, "Campbell is the most commonly encountered grape variety in our country, the well-known purple grape. However, as Shine Muscat has emerged as the main variety, it has taken the place of the 'national grape.' According to the Rural Development Administration's Agricultural Observation Center, last year, the cultivation area of Shine Muscat was 6,303 hectares, accounting for the highest proportion (43.1%) of the total grape cultivation area. In contrast, the cultivation area of Campbell was 4,286 hectares, representing only 29.3% of the total."

The decrease in the cultivation area of Campbell grapes is due to both profitability issues and the impact of climate change, such as low-temperature damage and coloring difficulties, which make management more challenging. Campbell grapes are fragile and can become soft and lose freshness easily after just a day or two. Extreme heat further complicates these management conditions. On the other hand, Shine Muscat grapes are more resilient, with higher firmness and longer storage periods. Generally, regular grapes can be stored for about 15 days in refrigeration, but Shine Muscat grapes can be stored for up to three months.

Changes in cultivation area have also affected prices. Once called the "Hermès of the grape world," the price of Shine Muscat has gradually decreased. As of the 27th, the retail price of Shine Muscat (based on 2kg) was 18,974 won, down approximately 33% from the previous year (28,358 won). Unusual weather patterns are changing not only fruit varieties but also their regions of origin. Mandarins, previously primarily grown in Jeju Island, have moved to Gohung in Jeollanam-do and Jinju in Gyeongnam. In Jeju, tropical fruits such as apple mango, mango, and passion fruit, which are typically found in Southeast Asia, are now cultivated. As agricultural regions shift northward, the number of fruits that were not previously grown in Korea is increasing.

It is in a situation.