Premium Japanese Shine Muscat Grapes Grown in China

Home » Blog » Japanese Shine Muscat Grapes Grown in China

Japanese fruits are knowed worldwide for their superior quality and beautiful appearance, synonymous with high-end fruit; However, their high prices are also a drawback. China has imported many kinds of fruit varieties from Japan (such as Shine Muscat grapes, Ehime Jelly oranges, and Harumi Mikan Mandarin orange), and after localization, has achieved a situation where “the quality is close to 90%, but the price is only a part of that.” This is mainly due to China’s massive planting scale and mature facility agriculture industry chain. China possesses vast land resources and climate conditions suitable for large-scale agriculture, enabling the rapid large-scale cultivation of Japanese fruit varieties after their introduction:

Shine Muscat grapes: This is one of the most successfully fruits introduced to China. Since its introduction in 2006, the planting area has expanded fastly. As of 2021, the national planting area was approximately 312,100 mu (over 20,000 hectares), spread across Yunnan, Hunan, Jiangsu, Sichuan, and other regions, with a planting scale more than 40 times that of Japan.

Ehime Jelly Orange: China has become the world’s largest citrus grower, with Sichuan Province being the largest production area for Ehime Jelly Oranges nationwide. In 2023, the planting area was approximately 286,000 mu (about 18,400 hectares), accounting for 63.2% of the national total, with an annual output exceeding 420,000 tons.

Other varieties: Harumi Mikan “Chun Jian” (from Pujiang and Meishan in Sichuan), and Miyauchi Summer Orange (from Meishan in Sichuan and Zhongxian in Chongqing) have all achieved large-scale localization.

Price Comparison of Chinese and Japanese Fruits: A Big Difference

The price of Japanese varieties of fruit produced in China is usually only 1/10 or even lower than in Japan:

shine muscat Grapes: Initially sold for 300 CNY/jin (about 150 CNY/catties) in China, but now the wholesale price in ordinary production areas is as low as 5-10 CNY/500g, and the retail price is only a dozen CNY/500g. In some areas, there have even been instances of “10 CNY for 1500g”. In Japan, a beautifully packaged bunch of Shine Muscat grapes often costs the equivalent of 600 CNY.

Ehime jelly oranges (AIYUAN NO. 38): An 8-jin (4 catties) pack from Sichuan costs about 35 CNY (about 4.5 CNY/500g). In Japan, a two-pack including tax costs about 1058 JPY (about 50 CNY), making it significantly more expensive than domestic orange.

Domestic Harumi Mikan Orange: Chun Jian or Papa Gan”: Chun Jian from Sichuan costs about 4-5 CNY per 500 grams. However, a single Ehime Chun Jian often costs 30-60 CNY.

Quality Comparison: High Quality at an Affordable Price

Quality Similarity: Through technical exchanges, facility cultivation (such as greenhouse temperature control and integrated water and fertilizer management), and site-specific planting (such as utilizing the early-maturing varieties of Yunnan and the late-maturing varieties of Sichuan), Chinese-produced fruits have reached 80%-90% of the sugar content, taste, and appearance of Japanese domestic products. For example, the Shine Muscat variety can reach a sweetness of 18-22 degrees Brix, retaining its seedless, crisp, sweet, and rose-scented characteristics, making it comparable to Japanese products.

Supply Advantage:

China can achieve “all-season supply,” while Japan relies heavily on seasonal supply and strict grading and sales restrictions.

Outstanding Cost-Effectiveness:

Domestically introduced fruits “achieve 80-90% of the quality of Japanese products, but at a fraction of the price.” Through large-scale planting and agricultural technology iteration, China has successfully transformed what were once “imported luxury fruits” into affordable everyday consumer goods. While Japanese domestic fruits still maintain a “niche, high-priced” approach (strictly controlled yield and extreme quality control), Chinese-produced Japanese varieties, with their extremely high cost-effectiveness and same eating experience, fully meet the mass market’s demand for “high quality at a low price.”