It used to be a no-brainer. Commercial muscadine vineyards could
get as much as 65 cents to 90 cents a pound for wholesale
fresh-market grapes but only $180 to $200 a ton (9 cents to 10
cents a pound) for processing-market grapes.

Growing muscadine table grapes for the fresh market still has
potential in some markets. But this past season, growers had a
hard time moving some of our fresh-market grapes.

Some growers ended up selling some grapes for only $8 a box (40
cents a pound). And they’ve got about $5 a box in them, so
there’s not much room for profit.

At the same time, the market for processing-market grapes has
improved. The price has doubled to around $400 a ton (20 cents a
pound). An increase in the number of wineries in the Southeast is
improving demand.

Grape Roller Coaster

However, growers should never plant muscadines without extensive
market research. We’ve been on this roller coaster before, back
in the 1970s. Prices for processed muscadines were good and then
crashed.

A bright spot in the picture is the discovery of high levels of
antioxidants in muscadines. Casimir Akoh’s research at UGA has
shown high levels of the antioxidant and anti-cancer compound
ellagic acid in muscadines.

Hopefully, as the health benefits of muscadine grapes become
common knowledge, the markets for both fresh and processed
muscadines will increase.