Hairy crab producers feeling the pinch
Print Edition
THERE will be fewer hairy crabs this year — but they’ll be cheaper as well, an industry official said yesterday.
Heavy rainfall in the Yangtze Delta region earlier in the season hampered the growth of the Shanghai delicacy, said Yan Jinhu, secretary general of the Suzhou Yangcheng Lake Crab Association.
As a result, production of the freshwater crustaceans is set to drop to 2,000 tons from 2,300 tons last year, added Yan.
But despite there being fewer hairy crabs — dazhaxie in Chinese — the price is falling.
For while traditionally, public sector bodies and companies would give luxury packages of crabs to officials, the central government’s frugality campaign has hit this market, said Yan.
The Shanghai Fisheries Trade Association said the government campaign has seen sales of luxury aquatic products fall by about 40 percent year on year.
And the number of stores nationwide that will stock hairy crabs, also known as the mitten crab, from Suzhou Yangcheng Lake has dropped 30 percent from last year to around 2,000, Yan said.
To compensate, producers are targeting ordinary consumers for the season that starts on September 20.
“It would cost 6,000 yuan (US$966) in previous years for some luxury gift packages of 10 hairy crabs, but now they cost 30 yuan each on some online shopping sites,” Yan said.
Many crab sellers have opened online stores on popular websites, such as JD.com and Yihaodian, according to Yan.
And the association yesterday signed an agreement with local courier firm SF Express to transport crabs from the lake to local residents.
“We aim to make online sales account for 70 percent of the total by the end of this year to make up for losses from the stores been shut down,” Yan said.
Some 200 tons of hairy crab will be flown to Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea, about the same as last year, said Yan.
In 2013, disciplinary departments began cracking down on spending by officials, including luxury items such as hairy crabs.
Last year, hairy crab prices fell for the first time in 12 years.
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