Crayfish are judged at the crayfish king tournament. [Photo/zbnews.net]
Now is one of the best times of the year for folks to enjoy delicious crayfish in Gaoqing county – administered by Zibo city, in East China's Shandong province – eating them outdoors with their families when the night breeze comes.
The first Shandong Gaoqing crayfish festival, which was held on Aug 8 in Gaoqing, had the added bonus of a crayfish king tournament – where the size, condition and weight of the crayfish were judged.
Crayfish from the Luwang aquaculture farmers' cooperative won first prize. Yang Xuezeng, its representative, was very excited and explained that he just started farming crayfish last year. He said he owed his achievement to the favorable policies to promote the agro-ecological industries issued by the local authorities.
Attendees taste delicious crayfish at the Gaoqing crayfish festival and give high praise to Gaoqing Qingshui crayfish. [Photo/zbnews.net]
The crayfish has become a premium product, designed to increase the incomes of the county's farmers and lead the cluster development of the local agricultural sector.
In order to expand the crayfish farming industry, the county authorities set up flagship stores for local crayfish. They are moving to form a complete industrial supply chain covering eco-farming, catering, tourism and co-branding.
According to the local farmers, their crayfish now sell all over the country – especially in Beijing, Shanghai and Qingdao city in Shandong province – at a price of 6 yuan ($0.9) per crayfish. This year, with the new established flagship stores, the demand of crayfish has outstripped supply despite a bumper harvest.
Gaoqing Qingshui crayfish is one of 15 national geographical indication products in the county. It is expected that the crayfish festival will raise the profile of Gaoqing food even more.
Buyers learn about the local crayfish in detail. [Photo/zbnews.net]
