Hairy crab industry thrives in E China's Jiangsu

Farmers pack hairy crabs in Hongze district, Huai'an city, east China's Jiangsu Province. (People's Daily Online/Jiang Nan)

Crab trading points in Xishunhe town, Hongze district, Huai'an city, east China's Jiangsu Province, are bustling as the peak season for hairy crabs gets underway.

"This year, each mu (about 0.067 hectares) of pond is expected to yield at least 200 kilograms of hairy crabs," said Xuan Ankui, a sales manager at a local agricultural development company.

Hongze Lake, China's fourth-largest freshwater lake, has consistently maintained water quality at Grade III or above. Mineral-rich soil and abundant natural feed around the lake provide favorable conditions for hairy crab farming.

Yet limited farming techniques in the 1990s kept output low and the district's hairy crabs little known. "Raising crabs is not like growing crops. You can't see disease underwater, and if you spot it a little late, you could lose money," said crab farmer Zhang Lijun.

Tourists enjoy hairy crabs at the 4th Hongze Lake Swimming Competition and Thousand-Person Crab Feast held by Hongze district, Huai'an city, east China's Jiangsu Province, on Oct. 18. (Photo/Yin Chao)

In recent years, the district has built a wholesale market for aquatic products, a provincial-level hairy crab breeding farm and a provincial-level modern agriculture demonstration park. Smart equipment has been used for crab farming in the demonstration park since the park began operation last year.

"In the past, we relied on experience. Now water temperature, dissolved oxygen and pH levels are clear at a glance," Zhang said, demonstrating how he monitors and manages his crab ponds using his phone.

People take photos at the 4th Hongze Lake Swimming Competition and Thousand-Person Crab Feast held by Hongze district, Huai'an city, east China's Jiangsu Province, on Oct. 18. (Photo/Yin Chao)

In the demonstration park, farming costs have fallen by 15 percent, while crab sizes have increased by 10 percent. This year, the district's crab farming area totals 39,000 mu, with output expected to reach 6,000 tonnes.

The hairy crab industry in the district now provides employment for 16,000 people and generates a total output value of more than 3 billion yuan (about $450 million).

Photo shows a provincial-level modern agriculture demonstration park in Hongze district, Huai'an city, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Photo/Yin Chao)