As of August 3rd, according to local reporters, traders in Ca Mau province are purchasing mud crabs at a rate of 400,000 VND/kg. The price for the best male crabs (3 per kg) is 180,000 VND/kg, while the larger female crabs (under 300 grams/crab) fetch 120,000 VND/kg.
Traders use lights to check if the crabs are fully mature.
According to 76-year-old farmer Nguyen Van Tong from Cai Nuoc district, Ca Mau province, crab prices have decreased by 50,000 to 100,000 VND/kg compared to a month ago.
The crab seedlings bought by farmers are initially no bigger than peppercorns, and they feed on small fish and shrimp in the ponds. After more than five months of farming, the crabs reach a weight of around 300 grams each, at which point they are ready for harvest.
“I caught 3 kg of the best male crabs and sold them to a trader for 540,000 VND. If the prices were as high as before, I would have made more profit,” shared Mr. Tong.
Many traders explain that the drop in Ca Mau crab prices is due to the current harvest season, which has resulted in a large supply. “Crab prices may continue to fall until after the 15th of the seventh lunar month, as consumers in Vietnam and China tend to adopt vegetarian diets during this period,” said trader Nguyen Van Luyен.
