Photo/Yu Ping

The 19th Xuyi international Crayfish Festival kicked off on June 12 in Xuyi County of Huai'an, a major crayfish base in east China's Jiangsu Province.

The event features 24 activities in three categories, such as crayfish feast, a crayfish cooking contest, musicals and folk customs shows.

During the opening ceremony, the National Japonica Rice Engineering Technology Research Center also unveiled its Jiangsu Center in the county.

For the first time, the festival's organizers cooperated with Jiangsu SOHO Holdings Group, a state-owned enterprise authorized by Jiangsu provincial government. The festival also has made new progress in developing market, expanding business network, and going global.

With an aim to boost income and develop the industry, the festival has made promotions in cities like Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Chengdu, and Wuhan, introducing the county's agricultural products. Side events of the festival will also be held in countries such as Britain and the Netherlands, presenting a banquet of food and culture for global crayfish fans and boosting foreign trade.

Data shows the output value of Xuyi crayfish reached 13.9 billion yuan (about 2 billion US dollars) in 2018.

Source:jschina.com.cn