Crucian carp price hits a 20-year high, Hubei price up 100% from the start of the year
“I've been in this business for almost 20 years, and I've never seen crucian carp prices this high!” Zhou Xianchuan, a feed dealer in Xiantao, Hubei, told reporters with considerable emotion. Li Jingzhan, a feed dealer in Dongxihu District, Wuhan, who has been in the feed business for about 10 years, is also encountering this for the first time.
It is understood that currently the pond-side price of crucian carp of 5 liang and above across Hubei is about 9-11 yuan/jin, exactly double the 4.5-5 yuan/jin at the start of this year. The pond-side price in the same period last year was 5.5-6 yuan/jin, also far below the current price.
Zhou Xianchuan told reporters that every year from September to December in Hubei, the pond-side price of crucian carp of 5 liang and above is about 4.8-5 yuan/jin, and it gradually rises in March and April of the following year, usually by only about 1 yuan/jin. “This year is really unusual!”
Zhou Xianchuan said the price is so high mainly because supply is very low. It is understood that there is very little intensive crucian carp farming in Hubei; it is mainly raised as a secondary species in ponds chiefly stocked with grass carp, black carp or bream. Because it is a secondary species, crucian carp is generally sold only when the pond is drained.
In 2014 and 2015, the grass carp market was sluggish for two consecutive years in Hubei, leaving many farmers with no hope in sight. At the end of 2015 and the start of 2016, most farmers drained their ponds and sold off all their grass carp. They rarely kept back a portion of about 1 jin “overwintering fish” (fish held in the pond), as they used to, to raise until mid-year this year and sell as “warm-water fish.” When the grass carp ponds were drained, the crucian carp were naturally sold off along with them. This is the main reason for the low crucian carp supply.
Li Jingzhan told reporters that Jiangsu crucian carp used to be sold to Hubei, but he has not heard of that recently. In his view, Jiangsu crucian carp production has declined over the past two years, and the weather has been relatively hot, making long-distance transport troublesome, so it is difficult for it to affect the Hubei market.
“The high price of bream has also driven crucian carp consumption to a certain extent.” Zhou Xianchuan said that bream and crucian carp are prepared in similar ways in Hubei and are somewhat interchangeable, so the high price of bream has led some consumers to turn to crucian carp.
Li Jingzhan believes the crucian carp price has probably already peaked. In another ten days to half a month, Hubei's “warm-water fish” will come onto the market. Several industry insiders said that although this year's “warm-water fish” output is lower than in previous years, it will still ease the current supply shortage to a certain extent and pull down the prices of grass carp, bream and crucian carp.
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Fish Expert - Aquaculture Technology Consulting Platform