As of the October 1, 2026 KAMIS survey: grape-type cherry tomato 3 kg wholesale prices, why they tripled since July, why they fell after Chuseok, and what growers should do in October.
In early July a 3 kg box of grape-type cherry tomatoes sold for less than KRW 10,000 at Seoul wholesale markets. By late September it was above KRW 30,000. Then the Chuseok holiday ended and the price started sliding again. For growers shipping now, the useful question is less “why did it rise” and more “how far will it fall”.
Bottom line: as of the October 1, 2026 KAMIS survey, top-grade grape-type cherry tomatoes sold for KRW 22,200 per 3 kg in Seoul. The price roughly tripled from KRW 9,990 on July 1 to KRW 30,500 on September 23, then fell 27% in a week as arrivals rose after Chuseok. It is still 26% above the same day a year ago (KRW 17,580).
Try it yourself: the produce market sales calculator compares what you keep in Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Gwangju and Daejeon at today’s prices.
1. Where the price stands.
KAMIS surveys cherry tomatoes daily as grape-type (jujube) cherry tomatoes, top grade, 3 kg, at the wholesale intermediary level.
| Point in time | Seoul, 3 kg | vs October 1 |
|---|---|---|
| October 1 (survey date) | KRW 22,200 | baseline |
| September 23 (before Chuseok) | KRW 30,500 | down 27.2% |
| September 1 | KRW 16,200 | up 37.0% |
| July 1 | KRW 9,990 | up 122.2% |
| One year earlier (2025-10-01) | KRW 17,580 | up 26.3% |
Monthly averages show how steep the climb was: KRW 10,306 in June, 11,577 in July, 13,110 in August, then 22,720 in September, a 73% jump in one month. Daily prices and a five-city comparison are on /prices/cherry-tomato/.
2. Why it rose.
Few people expected it. Our own late-August September price table listed cherry tomatoes as a weak item. The Korea Rural Economic Institute (KREI) outlook published on September 2 forecast about KRW 16,000 per 3 kg at Garak market for September, below last year’s KRW 23,100, because planted area and yields were up and September shipments were expected to rise 7.7%.
Three things changed the picture.
- Weather. September coverage of consumer prices pointed to rain and weak sunshine hurting growing conditions and delaying harvests. Cherry tomatoes color and sweeten slowly without sun, and cracking rises in long wet spells.
- Chuseok demand. The 2026 holiday ran September 24 to 26. In the week before, Seoul prices rose from KRW 27,500 to 30,500, while arrivals at the five city wholesale markets ran 8–11% below the previous week.
- A low starting point. KREI recorded August at KRW 12,600 at Garak, 29.6% below a year earlier. Starting from a low base makes the percentage rise look larger.
Statistics Korea’s September CPI showed the same pressure: vegetables rose 14.2% month on month, with tomatoes up 47.9%.
3. Why it turned after the holiday.
The first post-holiday survey on September 28 showed KRW 27,700, followed by 24,700, 24,000 and 22,200 on October 1, four straight declines. Fruit held back during the holiday arrived all at once. Five-city arrivals versus a week earlier were up 12% on September 28, 20% on the 29th and 36% on the 30th. Seoul’s two markets received 2,763 kg on October 1, more than double the 1,251 kg a week earlier. Gift demand had also ended.
4. Regional gaps.
| City | October 1 | September 23 |
|---|---|---|
| Gwangju | KRW 35,300 | KRW 33,600 |
| Daejeon | KRW 27,600 | KRW 32,600 |
| Busan | KRW 22,500 | KRW 25,500 |
| Seoul | KRW 22,200 | KRW 30,500 |
| Daegu | KRW 22,000 | KRW 23,300 |
Seoul fell the most, while Gwangju is still above its pre-holiday level. Smaller markets often follow Seoul with a lag, so watch next week’s surveys before shipping long distances.
5. What October may bring.
| Year | Sep average | Oct average | Sep → Oct |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 18,447 | 14,124 | down 23% |
| 2022 | 23,850 | 23,874 | flat |
| 2023 | 30,441 | 26,703 | down 12% |
| 2024 | 27,183 | 31,095 | up 14% |
| 2025 | 21,597 | 17,313 | down 20% |
October was lower than September in three of the last five years. This year the case for lower prices is stronger: KREI reports October shipping area up 2.4%, autumn planting intentions up 1.8%, and arrivals are already rising. The main upside risk is more cloudy, wet weather. A return to the KRW 30,500 peak looks unlikely, but neither is there evidence yet for a drop back to the low teens of July and August. Last year’s October 1 price of KRW 17,580 is a useful reference line.
6. What growers should do.
Cherry tomatoes cannot be stored and held like peanuts or beans. The real choice is how to spread shipments, not whether to wait.
- Ship fully colored fruit promptly; quality falls faster than price.
- Keep shipping evenly rather than chasing one day’s price.
- Grade out cracked and small fruit so it does not drag down the top grade.
- Do not plan the next crop around September’s price; it was an outlier month.
- Cut clusters and stems cleanly so stems do not puncture other fruit in the box.
For short-term storage temperatures by crop, see our cold storage temperature and humidity table.
7. Conclusion.
The 2026 cherry tomato spike came from a low summer base, poor September weather and Chuseok demand all at once. As of the October 1 KAMIS survey, Seoul prices were KRW 22,200 per 3 kg, 27% below the pre-holiday peak but still above last year. With more area and rising arrivals, October is more likely to drift lower, and steady, well-graded shipping is the practical answer.
References
- aT KAMIS, wholesale intermediary prices: cherry tomato (grape type), top grade, 3 kg, as of October 1, 2026 (data.go.kr API).
- aT KAMIS, monthly wholesale averages, Seoul, 2019–2026.
- data.go.kr, aT shipment volume data: grape-type cherry tomato arrivals at Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Gwangju and Daejeon wholesale markets, September 18 to October 1, 2026.
- Korea Rural Economic Institute, Agricultural Outlook: Fruit Vegetables, September 2026 issue (September 2, 2026) and July 2026 issue.
- NewDaily Economy, September 2026 CPI coverage, October 2, 2026.
- The Power News, September 2026 living-cost prices coverage, October 1, 2026.
- IMUN.FARM
/prices/cherry-tomato/price page. - Actual prices vary by grade, color, cracking rate, buyer and terms.