Shine Muscat Grapes Now Eligible for Export to Australia

Quarantine Agency Reaches Agreement with Australia
on Shine Muscat Grape Export Requirements

Going forward, domestically grown Shine Muscat grapes will be eligible for export to Australia. The government expects that expanding overseas markets for Shine Muscat, which is currently experiencing oversupply in the domestic market, will increase farm income.

The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency announced on April 28 that it had reached an agreement with the Australian authorities on quarantine requirements for Shine Muscat grapes.

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An official from the Quarantine Agency stated, "Grape growers and exporters have continuously requested the opening of the Australian market to expand overseas sales channels for Shine Muscat, which is in oversupply domestically. However, due to the stringent fumigation quarantine requirements demanded by Australia, it was virtually impossible to export Shine Muscat. In response, since last year, we have been negotiating with the Australian quarantine authorities regarding Shine Muscat exports, and this month, we succeeded in reaching an agreement to apply the same export quarantine requirements to Shine Muscat as those already in place for Campbell and Geobong grapes."

Until now, Shine Muscat has mainly been exported to Taiwan, the United States, and other countries. With this new measure, Shine Muscat can also be exported to Australia, provided it meets requirements such as export complex registration, bagging, and cold disinfection treatment. With the addition of Australia, overseas sales channels have become even more diverse. Over the past five years, annual exports of domestically grown grapes to Australia have averaged 16 tons, but with the inclusion of Shine Muscat, exports are expected to increase significantly, leading to a substantial boost in farm income.

The Quarantine Agency has already provided guidance to the field so that this agreement can be applied to Shine Muscat exports for the 2025 harvest. The agency also plans to promptly revise the official guidelines for the "Quarantine Requirements for Exporting Fresh Korean Grapes to Australia" as a follow-up measure.

Kim Jeonghee, head of the Quarantine Agency, said, "With this measure, the export channels for Shine Muscat have been expanded, which we expect will enhance the competitiveness of domestic grape growers. We will continue to listen to the voices of farmers and the industry and strive to further improve export quarantine requirements."