The status of Shine Muscat, once considered an 'aristocratic fruit' that fetched tens of thousands of won per bunch and was a top-tier holiday gift, has completely changed. Not only has it become a common budget fruit found on supermarket shelves, but it is now even cheaper than traditional Campbell Early grapes.

According to data from the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp. (aT), the recent consumer price for a 2kg box of Shine Muscat has dropped to an average of 11,791 won. This is a 71% crash compared to five years ago, when it reached as high as 38,000 won. While the price drop is partly due to a collective increase in production by farmers, the decisive factor was consumer disappointment that the 'taste has changed.' As the market grew rapidly, some farmers prematurely harvested and distributed unripe fruit to secure higher prices, causing the overall sweetness to drop significantly.

In fact, according to a survey by the Korea Rural Economic Institute, more than 3 out of 10 consumers reported experiencing a decline in quality, with most complaining about a lack of sweetness and tough skins. With product quality in jeopardy, the Korea Grape Association has implemented measures to exclude products below a certain sugar content from distribution and is even providing subsidies to encourage farmers to switch from Shine Muscat to other grape varieties. It is a bitter result where excessive overproduction and competition to ship early have ultimately tarnished the reputation of a premium fruit.

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