There are four Hunan-based enterprises qualified to supply hairy crabs to Hong Kong, three of which are in Datonghu District.

The qualification for supplying Hong Kong depends on quality, and quality relies on technology. Located in the heart of Dongting Lake, Datonghu District is a major hairy crab producer in Hunan. Datong Lake hairy crabs have been listed as a national geographical indication protected product, and won multiple honors such as the "Golden Crab Award," "Best Germplasm Award," and "Best Taste Award" at the "Wang Bao He Cup" National River Crab Competition in recent years.

 
To further improve hairy crab quality, the district has cooperated with universities and research institutes such as Hunan Agricultural University and the Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and has invited the teams of Professors Wang Chun and Wang Chenghui from Shanghai Ocean University to provide guidance on farming and breeding techniques. The newly bred local high-quality crab seedlings, "Datong Lake No. 1," have a survival rate of over 70%, double that of the crab seedlings purchased from other regions.

Good breeds need good farming practices. An "aquatic plants + hairy crabs" ecological planting and breeding model is promoted within the district. Aquatic plants are grown in crab ponds to purify water quality, provide shelters for hairy crabs to molt and hide from predators, and supply natural feed, achieving "purifying water with aquatic plants and raising crabs with water." Ecological crabs bring an average net profit of 4,000 CNY per mu to crab farmers.

Good crabs deserve a good price. The district has established a full-chain quality and safety system covering breeding, processing, monitoring, and traceability, guiding export enterprises to enhance registered base development and to make good use of anti-counterfeit crab tags with geographical indication. These measures have helped ensure that sources are traceable, destinations trackable, quality controllable, and after-sales service accessible. The hairy crabs have been exported to overseas markets such as Singapore and the UAE.
 
Enhanced quality and brand lead to broader industrial paths. Today, it has gradually moved from single breeding to a "breeding + processing + cultural tourism" integrated model. The local government has developed a "sightseeing tourism belt," hosting a stream of events such as crab-tasting festivals, national camping rallies, and crab-themed marathons. "Enjoying the lake, viewing the grass, and tasting crabs" experiences have  become popular. This year, the district's ecological hairy crab breeding area reaches 21,000 mu (over 1,400 hectares), with adult hairy crab output expected to stabilize at 2,000 tonnes. The comprehensive output value is projected to exceed 900 million CNY.

This article is from Hunan Provincial Government. www.enghunan.gov.cn. 

Translator: Pang Yuehui 

Chinese source: hunan.gov.cn