Grab the crab market

As an agriculture sub-sector, crab farming holds immense potential for both local and overseas markets. Crabs, particularly the mud crabs, have huge prospects to grow in plain water, ponds, low land, and marshes without much care and investment. Unlike shrimps, crabs are not disease-prone species, encouraging many shrimp farmers in the western districts to switch from shrimps to crabs for its margin, and prospects. While solely dependent on the Chinese market for export earnings, the government and exporters now need to look at the vast western market for crab business. Due to its mouthwatering test and unique aroma, the demands from high-end foodies are also on the rise prompting the local foodservice industry, online food delivery companies included, to add the dish to their menu.

Being located at the edge of the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh has a wide and diverse range of seafood options. From Rock Lobsters to Mussels, from prawns to pomfrets, the country offers many options that cater to the local palette. But among the many produces, the mud crab is gaining momentum as the next big seafood export category, so much so that the government has earmarked the crab sub-sector into the special development category in its latest Export Policy. The key reason for the interest in mud crab is due to relatively high prices and less prone to diseases compared to shrimps. Additionally, mud crab farming is regarded as less vulnerable to the local effects of climate change and deterioration of water quality.

According to LightCastle, as of 2019, the mud crab fishery supported the livelihood of more than three lakh fishers, traders, brokers, transporters, and exporters in Bangladesh. Export Promotion Bureau data show that the country exported frozen crabs worth $12.38 million to more than 20 countries in FY21. The Khulna region is the largest producer of crabs, followed by Chattogram and Barishal. Over the years, mud crab farming in the southwest of Bangladesh has witnessed a sharp rise, as more and more farmers are finding it lucrative to rear crabs. Bangladesh’s geography and climate make it suitable for crab farming. Data from the Department of Fisheries show that the country produced 12,562 metric tonnes of crabs in FY20 on 9,535 hectares.

A piece of a news report published in this daily on Sunday states that crabs have found their way into buffet, five-star hotels’ menus, restaurants catering to foreigners, and even in general households over the years. A 2019 study of LightCastle found that crab’s demand has been increasing locally with the rise of the middle and affluent class population, which is projected to quadruple to 37 million in 2021. Currently, over 110 restaurants in Dhaka sell crab-based dishes. This is projected to be a key driver of demand for mud crabs in Bangladesh over the medium term. “Certain groups of people once consumed crabs but now, people from across the country eat them,” said Sanjida Sharmin, owner of Food Network Agro. The demand for soft-shell crabs in the local market is going up. “We can sell half a ton of soft-shell crabs per month,” she said, adding that they plan to open at least four outlets in the capital soon.

To reap the maximum benefits of the crabs’ potential, bottlenecks hindering the growth of the sector must be addressed to grow further and grab the world crab market meaningfully. Hindrances like inappropriate infrastructure posed challenges related to lack of seawater supply, natural light, proper aeration, drainage systems, and biosecurity. Since the technology is comparatively new, the market is still getting acquainted with the practices. The technology relating to nursing crabs needs to be developed through imparting training to farmers. Besides, the sourcing of crablets, which is now nature-based, needs to be diversified with running commercial crab hatcheries.

Hence, we urge the policymakers concerned to focus on crab, fix the hindrances, and grab the potential.