Mudgee man Kevin Scott said the region’s grape growers should consider shifting from wine to table grapes.

He is not calling for all wine grapes to be grafted but rather an experiment that may offer a positive alternative.

“I have done a little work on grapes and feel there is an opportunity for local growers to diversify into the storage of table grapes which grow well in our region,” he said.

The honorary doctor of science said a local grape storage industry was worth investigating because the technology was well known and could be improved.

Dr Scott said he knew the region’s grape growers had an emphasis on fresh fruit and believed nothing would be lost in storing them for later sale.

“Some growers think that we are too late here for fresh table grapes but it is the later districts that do well storing fruits,” he said.

“There is not much choice in buying grapes at the local supermarkets for much of the year. I believe that prices rise in the late winter when local supplies are ending.

“Often pulling vines can lead to a small piece of land being left and not big enough for grazing.”

Imported table grapes are sold at a much higher price.”

Dr Scott said he realised if the local grape growing industry was to take on storing table grapes, there would be some initial costs including developing cool stores.

However he said he believes there is no reason why some experiments could not start.

“In a time when wine grape growers are pulling their vines out or letting them go, they could be grafting them down and looking at table grapes,” he said.

“Often pulling vines can lead to a small piece of land being left and not big enough for grazing.”

He said there was also an opportunity to store table grapes in Orange but he would help anybody who was interested in Mudgee looking at table grape storage.