NANJING, Sept. 23 -- This year's harvest season of China's highly sought-after freshwater crabs started Monday on the Yangcheng Lake in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province.

A total of 1,400 tonnes of the tasty and pricy mitten crab are expected to be harvested from a breeding area that covers 1,067 hectares, 100 tonnes more than that of last year, according to the Suzhou municipal bureau of agriculture and rural affairs.

The crabs have grown bigger this year as the lake saw improving water quality and fewer days with high temperatures, the bureau said.

"In spite of the higher yield, the price of the crabs is expected to be 10 percent higher this year due to rising costs," said Yao Shuisheng with the Suzhou Yangcheng Lake Crab Association, noting that the final price will depend on the market.

Local authorities said anti-fake labels have been upgraded this year to ensure better traceability in authenticity checks.