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Crabs from the Yangtze River settle down in NW China’s Xinjiang

Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily (Reporter Lu Fengbao) news: At noon on October 21, 2024, the autumn sun shone brightly over Bachu County, Kashi Prefecture, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. A small boat arrived from the Honghai Reservoir and docked at the shore. Wang Fei, a farmer, along with his workers, unloaded a bucket full of crabs from the boat. They quickly began sorting, weighing, and selling the crabs as they prepared for a busy day.

Wang Fei said to the reporter that crabs from the Yangtze River are expected to generate 2.8 million yuan (0.39 million U.S. dollars) this year.

Wang Fei, 46, originally from Jiangsu, moved to Xinjiang in 2014 to sell cotton seeds and fertilizers. Since then, he has made a home for himself in Xinjiang.

Photo taken on October 21,2024 shows Wang Fei holds the newly caught crabs in Bachu County, Kashi Prefecture, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo by Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily/Lu Fengbao)

Wang Fei is a diligent man who has seized opportunities to make money. In recent years, he opened a fertilizer factory in Bachu County, where he also engages in cotton farming. And then he has shifted his focus to aquaculture and planned to breed green crabs without any feed.

Aquatic products such as crabs and prawns from Xinjiang have been selling well across the country. These products, often labeled as "fresh," are in high demand both online and offline, earning popularity among consumers not only in Xinjiang but throughout the country.

Bachu County is situated on the edge of the Taklimakan Desert, making crab cultivation challenging due to the difficulty of finding suitable water sources.

After conducting several searches and comparisons, Wang Fei became interested in the Honghai Reservoir and the Weixing Reservoir. These two reservoirs primarily provide irrigation water for the surrounding farmland, covering an area of over 90,000 mu (about 6,000 hectares). They are abundant in aquatic plants, small fish, and shrimp. "I have carefully inspected, and these two reservoirs are rich in natural bait for the growth of crabs," Wang Fei said. The water temperature is suitable, and it is slightly alkaline, containing beneficial mineral elements ideal for crab breeding.

A key step in raising crabs is to select healthy, germ-free crab seedlings; otherwise, there can be a high mortality rate.

Wang Fei initially purchased a type of crab seedling from northeast China and introduced them for feeding in March last year. Unfortunately, the mortality rate for this type of crab exceeded 70 percent. To address this issue, he invited three experts from Shanghai for on-site guidance.

"Crabs from the Yangtze River are suitable for breeding here," the experts advised.

Taking their recommendation, Wang Fei purchased 9.2 tons of Yangtze River crab seedlings in two batches and introduced them into the reservoirs immediately. This decision was successful. These mung bean-sized crab seedlings were easy to breed and showed a high survival rate, making them well-suited for the environment of the Honghai Reservoir.

As the crabs grew, Wang Fei hired several workers to help manage them. Every day, he would drive a boat around the reservoirs to carefully monitor the growth of the crabs. “I don't even care so much about my own children,” he said with a smile.

Hard work pays off, and this year, the crabs yielded a bumper harvest. The crabs from Yangtze River, farmed in a green manner, have become very popular, attracting many businessmen from Jiangsu, Shanghai, and other places.

Wang Fei picked up a crab, admiring its green back, white belly, yellow hair, and golden claws. The electronic scale showed it weighed 250 grams. “Look at this crab roe and delicious meat. There's no worry about selling them, and my current income exceeds 2.3 million yuan (about 32.28 thousand U.S. dollars),” he said.

The crabs have been harvested and sold since August and can continue to be sold until October. The stable market demand also gives Wang Fei the motivation to expand his farming operations. This year, he has introduced more than three tons of crab seedlings from the Yangtze River, which are now thriving in Bachu County. “I want to sell crabs all over the country,” he said.

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