Sales of Shine Muscat are on the rise, with a bumper harvest and high sugar content expected this year
Agricultural Research Institute Press release: September 26, 2024 Sales of Shine Muscat are on the rise, and a bumper crop and high sugar content are expected this year The reasons for the increase in sales are ease of eating, increase in the number of producers, and increase in exports to Hong Kong and Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute Co., Ltd. (headquarters: Wakayama City, Wakayama Prefecture, Representative Director, Chairman and CEO: Tomomasa Oikawa, hereinafter referred to as “Agricultural Research Institute”) has summarized the sales trends of Shine Muscat, which will be in season from this month, and the harvest forecast for this fall.
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supermarkets across the country, as well as conducting interviews with producers and others. At the National Institute of Agriculture, the handling of Shine Muscat in August has increased by 228.2% in 2023 compared to the previous year, and in 2024 it has increased by 147.9% compared to last year. In addition, in JA Nakano City (Nakano City, Nagano Prefecture), which cooperated with this survey, the popularity has increased from less than 3 billion yen 10 years ago to over 7 billion yen, more than doubling. I am. Reason for popularity There are three reasons why Shine Muscat’s sales are increasing. Reason 1 The skin is edible and there are no seeds, making it easy to eat. The consumption of grapes itself has increased because of its
characteristics, which are different from those of traditional Japanese grapes. In recent years, traditional grapes such as Kyoho have been on the decline, so Shine Muscat has become a driving force for improving the value of grapes as a whole. Reason 2 The number of producers is increasing. Shine Muscat is highly profitable, so an increasing number of producers are choosing Shine Muscat when starting new farms. Additionally, an increasing number of producers are changing their cultivation from Kyoho grapes and rice to Shine Muscat. In the aforementioned JA Nakano City, the number of Shine Muscat producers has increased by more than 100 over the past 10 years. Reason 3 Export use is also increasing, mainly to Hong Kong and Taiwan. Since they are mainly used as gifts, high-quality ones are especially preferred. Outlook for this year Shine Muscat is growing smoothly, with no visible effects from this year’s record heat wave. As a result, the sugar content is higher than usual, and a bumper harvest is expected. Although it is in season, the harvest time has been brought forward due to the intense heat. For this reason, the best time to eat the products from JA Nakano City is usually late September, but this year it is expected to be about a week earlier. A popular alternative to Shine Muscat According to JA Nakano City, the bright red grape “Queen Rouge (R)” is sweeter than Shine Muscat, and is an original variety from Nagano Prefecture that is very popular because it has no seeds and can be eaten with the skin, so you don’t have to worry about eating the skin. This means that production is also increasing.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/38953/56/38953-56-4db0a5f050b59555bf14aaf536bbf0f4-712×475.jpg Queen Rouge (R) (Photo provided by JA Nakano City) Interview cooperation JA Nakano City (Nakano City Agricultural Cooperative Association) 1-2-8 Miyoshicho, Nakano City, Nagano Prefecture 383-8588 https://www.ja-nakanoshi.iijan.or.jp Research method Survey period: August 1, 2024 to August 31, 2024 Research method: Derived based on sales data from “Farmer’s Direct Sales Offices” and direct wholesalers operated by our company in more than 2,000 supermarkets nationwide, and interviews with producers Company profile Agricultural Research Institute Co., Ltd. (JPX stock code 3541) 4th floor, Teramoto Building II, 99-12 Kuroda, Wakayama City, Wakayama Prefecture, 640-8341 https://nousouken.co.jp/ With the vision of “realizing a sustainable agricultural industry and enriching consumers,” we are a leading company in direct-to-farm distribution with the aim of building a system that will ensure that agriculture does not disappear in Japan and the world. By directly connecting approximately 10,000 producers nationwide and approximately 2,000 retail stores mainly in urban areas using IT and building an information, logistics, and payment platform, we will be able to sell agricultural products directly from the farm to supermarkets in urban areas. We are developing the “Farmer’s Direct Sales Business,” which we realized through “Farmer’s Direct Sales,” and the “Farm Direct Wholesaling Business,” in which we purchase agricultural products from producers, brand them, and then sell them to supermarkets.
