Recently, the price of Chinese crayfish has plummeted, with some high-quality products seeing prices slashed by half, leading to a significant decline in profits for distributors.
According to a report from “Time Weekly” on April 22, Feng Jing (pseudonym), who sells crayfish at the aquatic trading area in the Shanghai Qibao Vegetable and Aquatic Product Comprehensive Trading Market, revealed to the media, “The price of crayfish has hit rock bottom!” Feng Jing mentioned that this year’s prices are lower compared to last year, with crayfish prices currently dropping by nearly 50% from a month ago.
He explained that due to differences in size, quality, and origin, crayfish prices vary. Crayfish in the market are categorized by specifications like small, medium, large, and the premium “cannonball” variety, with a single “cannonball” crayfish weighing over 50 grams. The price of “cannonball” crayfish, which is considered a high-end variety, has plummeted from the initial price of 100 yuan to 55 yuan. Despite having regular customers, the price decrease has greatly reduced profits.
Data from the “Shrimp Valley 360” platform shows that the peak prices for small, medium, large, and “cannonball” crayfish in Shanghai occurred between mid-February and mid-March, reaching 34 yuan/jin (500 grams), 49 yuan/jin, 75 yuan/jin, and 102 yuan/jin, respectively. As of April 22, prices for these four specifications have dropped to 14 yuan/jin, 17.5 yuan/jin, 30 yuan/jin, and 52 yuan/jin.
Similarly, a vendor named Awen in the same aquatic market expressed that due to the large supply of crayfish and the subsequent price drop, profits from crayfish have become very low.
Regarding the continuous decline in crayfish prices, Wang Peng, deputy researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, analyzed that there are three reasons for the constant probing of crayfish prices. Firstly, as crayfish farming areas expand and production increases, market supply significantly rises, directly leading to price drops.
The “China Crayfish Industry Development Report (2024)” shows that in 2023, crayfish farming areas reached 29.5 million mu, with a production of 3.161 million tons, representing an annual increase of 5.36% and 9.35%, respectively.
Secondly, accelerated shipments from crayfish-producing areas further add to market supply, exerting downward pressure on prices. Additionally, crayfish prices are significantly impacted by seasonal factors, with April to June being the peak period for listing, resulting in relatively lower prices.
Wang Peng also mentioned that the scale and branding operations of large enterprises and brand companies would further squeeze the market space of individual crayfish farmers. These farmers not only face rising costs of feed, seedlings, and medicines but also unstable market prices, making it difficult for them to establish a competitive advantage and leading to compressed profit margins.
In response to this, some internet users expressed that prices are still too high for them to afford.
A Tencent user, pmbj7gx, said, “This year’s economy is tough, crayfish are not as popular, it’s too expensive to eat out; a day’s income is barely enough for one person’s meal.”
“Half Dream Half Awake” shared, “Nowadays, going to a crayfish restaurant, it costs at least 300 yuan for two people.”
“Live within your means” commented, “Many people dare not consume anymore.”
Some internet users also raised concerns about the hygiene of crayfish, stating that eating them may not be good for one’s health.
A Tencent user, d03a21v, expressed, “In the past, these crayfish from stinky sewers were not consumed by anyone! The dirtier the pond, the more of these crayfish there are! Heavy metals and other harmful substances are seriously exceeding standards! Eating too much harms the body!”
“Big Shanghai” added, “Twenty to thirty years ago, these crayfish were referred to as ‘straw shrimp’ among Shanghai residents, they were dirty crayfish living on rotten corpses and dirty things in the sewers. I remember around the year 2000, when river prawns were over 20 yuan per jin, crayfish were not priced above 2 yuan per jin!”
The scientific name of crayfish is Procambarus clarkii, a crustacean belonging to the family Cambaridae, commonly known as crayfish or freshwater lobsters. They are usually found in ditches, ponds, lakes, reservoirs, rice fields, and other aquatic environments, living at the bottom of water.