Chinese mitten crab farmers are facing mounting financial pressure as prices fall and production costs rise, prompting some to suspend farming operations during what is traditionally the industry’s busiest selling seasons.
Farmers and seafood traders told The Epoch Times that weaker consumer demand and higher prices for juvenile crabs and feed have squeezed profit margins, with some reporting sales far below previous levels.
The downturn comes as China’s economy faces weak domestic demand and a prolonged property-market slump, which have weighed on consumer confidence and spending.
The broader economic uncertainty may be making consumers more cautious about discretionary purchases, including premium seasonal foods.
Chinese mitten crab, or hairy crab, is a freshwater crab named for the dense “mittens” of hair on its claws. It is prized especially for its roe and rich flavor. The best-known brand is Yangcheng Lake hairy crab, from Jiangsu Province.
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Chinese mitten crabs are a popular seasonal delicacy, particularly for family gatherings and gift-giving around the Mid-Autumn Festival and the National Day holiday, which falls on Oct. 1. However, prices have dropped sharply this year, especially for ordinary-grade crabs.
On Oct. 9, a Chinese mitten crab weighing about three to six ounces sold for just 10 yuan ($1.50) in Shanghai, according to Chinese media Jiemian News via news portal Sina. The current price is about a third of what it was over a decade ago.
The Epoch Times learned from market participants that prices for ordinary-grade mitten crabs began to fall to varying degrees in late September, with declines accelerating after the National Day holiday. The market participants spoke to the publication on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisal.
A crab farmer who rents more than six acres of crab ponds told the publication that rising feed costs had led some farmers to reduce the amount of feed they gave their crabs, affecting their growth and market value.
“Frozen fish and marine fish are too expensive this year. Many people are reluctant to feed them,” the farmer said.
She said feed prices have risen by around 50 percent from the previous year.
Another crab farmer told The Epoch Times that the cost of juvenile crabs and the chilled fish used to feed them had increased substantially, pushing overall production costs up by an estimated 20 to 30 percent.
“This year has been a difficult one for crab farming,” he said. “I don’t want to raise crabs anymore. It’s too difficult.”
A wholesale seafood trader pointed to the broader economic environment, saying consumer demand had weakened significantly.
“This year, in this [economic] environment, my sales can’t even reach one-quarter of what they used to be,” the seafood trader said.
China produced an estimated 894,395 metric tons of mitten crab in 2024. Jiangsu produced 400,089 tons, or nearly half the national total.
Hong Ning contributed to this report.
