A bird's eye view of Hongqiao town in Huzhou's Changxing county, which is dubbed the "hometown of river crabs in China". [Photo/hz66.com]

Hairy crabs farmed in Taihu Lake in Huzhou, East China's Zhejiang province will hit the market soon.

Hongqiao town in Huzhou's Changxing county is dubbed the "hometown of river crabs in China". The farming land of river crabs spans over 14,000 mu (933.3 mu) in the town. 

The town's crabs output is projected to increase by 20 percent this year thanks to the launch of a digital management platform.

Zhang Yang, a crab farmer from the town, said that he can monitor the situation of ponds in real time, including dissolved oxygen and water temperature, through an app.

Qian Jinyuan, head of the Changxing Hairy Crab Industry Association, said that a water quality detection system has been installed in ponds contracted by 15 crab farmers this year, resulting in a significant improvement in both quality and quantity.

The average weight of a crab was about 150 to 200 grams in previous years. This year though, female crabs can reach 200 grams on average, while male crabs have an average weight of about 500 grams, according to Qian.