Recently, crayfish prices have plummeted in cities such as Chengdu in Sichuan, Nanning in Guangxi, and Zhejiang, with Chengdu seeing prices as low as 6 yuan per kilogram (RMB, the same below).
According to reports from mainland Chinese media, crayfish prices have sharply dropped in many regions. The Chengdu Business Daily reported on the 18th that several crayfish wholesalers in Chengdu, Sichuan revealed that crayfish prices have experienced a “dive” recently. Small crayfish are sold for 6 to 10 yuan per kilogram, medium for 15 yuan per kilogram, and large for 20 to 30 yuan per kilogram, almost half the price compared to last year.
Statistics from the Haijixing Market (Baijia Market) in Chengdu also show that from April 1 to 15, the total crayfish supply has doubled compared to the same period last year, while the prices have dropped by 30% to 40%, reaching a low point in selling prices.
A crayfish wholesaler named Wei Shangming said that prices for crayfish of different sizes have decreased by around 5 to 20 yuan. Currently, the highest sales are for small crayfish. He disclosed that in previous years, only crayfish from Sichuan were available in the market at this time. Prices would usually drop after a large quantity of crayfish from Hubei entered the market by the end of April. However, due to rising temperatures since the beginning of this year, Hubei crayfish have grown rapidly, with more producers.
It is reported that because crayfish have a higher mortality rate during transportation, many crayfish in Sichuan are from Hubei, which is relatively closer.
Hu Weimin, a native of Hubei, is the owner of Zeyu Seafood in Sichuan. Her brother operates crayfish ponds in Hubei, supplying tens of thousands of kilograms of crayfish to Sichuan daily. Hu Weimin mentioned that medium crayfish that were sold for over 10 yuan per kilogram in the morning were priced at only 7 to 8 yuan per kilogram in the afternoon.
Not only in Chengdu, but prices for crayfish have also fallen in Nanning in Guangxi and Zhangjiakou in Hebei.
CCTV’s financial program “First Time” reported on the 18th that on April 16, Mr. Meng, a vendor at the Dancun Agricultural Market in Nanning, stated that when crayfish first entered the market in March, they were priced at 50 yuan per kilogram, but now the prices have significantly dropped. Currently, medium crayfish are sold for 22 to 25 yuan per kilogram, reduced from the previous price range of 25 to 28 yuan per kilogram, with last year’s April prices being even higher. The wholesale price of crayfish at the Nanning seafood trading market is between 10 and 20 yuan per kilogram.
On the 14th, official media in Zhangjiakou, Hebei, mentioned that crayfish prices in Zhejiang have been halved. In several agricultural markets and supermarkets in the Taizhou district of Zhejiang Province, crayfish are priced at around 20 yuan per kilogram.
A crayfish vendor at the Hongjia market in Jiaojiang, Taizhou, stated that small crayfish are sold for 19 yuan per kilogram, while large ones are priced at 28 yuan per kilogram. The vendor explained that in early March, the prices for “medium” and “small” crayfish ranged from 30 to 50 yuan per kilogram, but now the prices have significantly decreased to between 20 and 30 yuan per kilogram, almost halving in price.
Other reports from Chinese media mention that the reduction in transportation costs is also an important reason for the price drop.
Internet users have questioned: “Why aren’t the prices at restaurants cheaper?” “It is only the prices for crayfish farmers that have dropped, not for consumers.”
责任编辑: 李沐恩#