Workers catch Chinese mitten crabs. [Photo/Tide News]

At a farm in Jiangshan, a county-level city in Quzhou, Zhejiang province, workers were busy catching Chinese mitten crabs in the rice fields on Nov 6.

This is the time when Chinese mitten crabs are at their fullest and also the time when late-season rice matures. These crabs need to be caught before the rice is harvested. After being selected, weighed, and packaged, these crabs will be shipped to the Yangtze River Delta region.

The farm raises Chinese mitten crabs on over 133,000 square meters, with 87,000 square meters being its first attempt at a rice-crab symbiosis model.

It is expected that each 670-square-meter paddy will yield about 500 kilograms of rice and around 100 kilograms of crabs, achieving a bountiful harvest with both economic and ecological benefits.

Chinese mitten crabs usually grow in clear waters abundant in grass, organic matter, and oxygen. This environment helps the crab become a rare delicacy.