Alligator snapping turtle farming market outlook is bullish, market demand continues to heat up

    Alligator snapping turtle hatchlings at 80 yuan each, spend three years raising them, and earn 100 yuan per turtle once grown - do you dare to take it on? This year many people have made it clear: the more the better. Over the past five years, the price of commercial alligator snapping turtles has continued to rise, and hatchlings have remained at high levels. There is now about half a month left before the first batch of alligator snapping turtle hatchlings hits the market, and most hatcheries have quoted high prices for the first batch.

Chen Zhiguan, who works as a seedling broker in Zhongshan, told reporters that although most hatcheries have not yet hatched any hatchlings, quotes from a hatchery in Zhongshan have risen from 70 yuan each a month ago all the way to 80 yuan each now, and prices are expected to be adjusted further when hatchlings actually emerge. Recently, the first batch of hatchlings from Hainan (about 1,000 turtles) even sold for more than 90 yuan each, while throughout last year hatchling prices were also 50-70 yuan each - such a price level is staggering. Luo Qingyu, owner of Shunde Yongsheng Soft-shelled Turtle Hatchery, believes that based on the existing hatchling production capacity and demand, later hatchling prices are expected to break through 100 yuan each.

“This year alligator snapping turtle hatchlings are more expensive than last year, mainly because demand has increased while hatchling production capacity has not been greatly improved,” Zeng Runming, owner of Dongguan Dongyuan Aquaculture Farm, told reporters. At present, the original stock of alligator snapping turtles farmed in China is all imported from the United States, and there are two types: the alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) and the so-called small alligator snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina, the common snapping turtle), with domestic farming mainly focused on the common snapping turtle.

Since being introduced for farming many years ago, the common snapping turtle has basically achieved localized hatching, but egg production is unstable and total egg production is relatively low. Generally speaking, the number of eggs per clutch can be as many as 70 or 80, or as few as three to five, with each female turtle laying an average of 1-2 clutches per year, most laying only 1 clutch, and the hatching rate is only a little over 20%. Although the number of breeding alligator snapping turtles in China has been increasing in recent years, because it is difficult to break through the bottleneck of low egg production and low hatching rates, hatchling supply has consistently failed to keep up with growing demand.

It is understood that alligator snapping turtles are mainly farmed in greenhouses in the Zhejiang area. From small hatchlings under 10 grams, raising them to around the Spring Festival of the second year can reach eight or nine jin, with a purchase price of 30 yuan per jin (current price), and the net profit per alligator snapping turtle is around 100 yuan. The Guangdong area mainly relies on outdoor pond farming, which takes about three years from stocking to selling, and the turtles are generally sold at a size of around 5-7 jin. Because the meat quality and flavor are better, the selling price is slightly higher than in the Zhejiang area, currently at 45-50 yuan per jin, while the price for selecting females alone (used as reserve breeding turtles) is around 65 yuan per jin.

At present, there are relatively few farms in the Guangdong area that purely raise commercial alligator snapping turtles, with most focusing on hatchling production. Lin Jingen, owner of Shunde Hongxin Aquaculture, explained that starting this year, the United States has restricted the export of turtle species, which to a certain extent has reduced China's supply of breeding turtles. He estimates that this year's national supply of common snapping turtle hatchlings will be about one million, and finished turtles are in short supply.

Alligator snapping turtles are famous for their strong bodies, abundant meat, and fierce, voracious feeding. Many farmers told reporters that the survival rate of alligator snapping turtle hatchlings is above 90%, and the feed conversion ratio is higher than that of other turtles and soft-shelled turtles. In greenhouses, the conversion ratio when feeding powdered feed can reach about 1:1, while in outdoor ponds the conversion ratio when feeding chilled fresh feed is about 4-5:1. Moreover, no obvious diseases have been found so far, and it is enough to pay attention to water disinfection at ordinary times.

According to industry insiders, analysis shows that future commercial alligator snapping turtle prices will continue to rise, farming benefits are considerable and stable, and there is no suspicion of speculation (the vast majority of commercial turtles enter the consumer market and are eaten). Although the reproduction rate is unstable, it is one of the more worthwhile species to invest in among turtles and soft-shelled turtles. However, because hatchling costs are high, it is only cost-effective to sell at a size of at least 5-7 jin, and the required farming cycle is relatively long. The outdoor pond farming cycle in Guangdong is even longer, the overall investment is relatively large, and the capital recovery time is long, so investors need to consider carefully.

Article source: Southern Rural News