The brand value of the hairy crab in Xinghua city – administered by Taizhou in East China's Jiangsu province – was recently estimated to be 31.35 billion yuan ($4.32 billion), ranking it first in a brand value list of its kind.
The list was released by the organizing committee of protected geographical indications and the Brand Observer magazine on Aug 16.
A total of 25 species of hairy crabs from 10 provinces in China were listed and out of the top 10, seven were from Jiangsu province.
The breeding area for hairy crabs in Xinghua is 630,000 mu (42,000 hectares) and the city can cultivate 67,000 metric tons of hairy crabs annually.
The hairy crab is regarded as a kind of river crab and Xinghua's yield and the output value of its river crabs account for one-fifth and one-seventh in Jiangsu province, respectively.
Four townships in Xinghua have been recognized as a hometown of Chinese river crabs.
A Xinghua farmhand proudly shows off some hairy crabs. [Photo/Xuexi Qiangguo app]