As the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival approach, 1,067 hectares of river crab farms in Jingjiang, a county-level city in Taizhou, East China's Jiangsu province, have entered the crucial breeding phase leading up to their market debut.
At the crab ponds in the Keruibo Aquaculture Professional Cooperative in Chengde village, Dongxing town, river crabs scurry among the aquatic plants. Liu Ge, head of the cooperative, explained that the crabs are currently in the final molting stage, which is vital for their growth before they hit the market.
To ensure the crabs meet quality standards after molting, the cooperative has set up rigorous scientific guidelines, covering everything from feed composition to feeding frequency.
"Frozen fish provides the crabs with protein, while coarse fiber foods like corn and pumpkin improve the health of the crabs' liver and enhance their taste. Currently, female crabs are fed once a day, and male crabs every two days," said Liu.
Water quality management is also key. Farmers add fertilizer to promote algae growth, which produces natural astaxanthin, enhancing the crabs' flavor and making their shell redder and shinier after cooking.
Covering an area of 7 hectares, the cooperative expects a yield of over 1,355 kilograms per hectare this year. By the end of this month, a small number of crabs will be ready for market. These meticulously nurtured crabs will be transported to other cities, providing a festive treat to consumers and a sense of harvest joy to the farmers.
Crab ponds at the Keruibo Aquaculture Professional Cooperative in Chengde village, Dongxing town, Jingjiang. [Photo/zhjjwx.jsjjw.cn]
Liu Ge, head of the Keruibo Aquaculture Professional Cooperative in Jingjiang, holds a crab in his hand. [Photo/zhjjwx.jsjjw.cn]
Crab farmers harvest an abundant catch of river crabs. [Photo/zhjjwx.jsjjw.cn]