A batch of frozen seafood produced in Sanmen county, Taizhou was exported overseas by air, marking the first time the county has exported seafood through freezing.

The shipment, weighing 172.5 kilograms and worth nearly $6,000, was exported by Datao Agricultural Development Co Ltd, a company registered in Taotou village, which is renowned for producing small seafood.

Previously, the company mainly exported live seafood caught in the fishpond. However, transportation losses ranging from 10 percent to 20 percent made it less profitable.

In a bid to increase the added value of products and reduce transportation losses, Datao Agricultural started planning frozen seafood exports in May. By freezing and exporting seafood, losses can be avoided entirely, and products can be sold at much higher prices than the terminal wholesale price.

For example, small yellow croakers weighing between 15 and 30 grams typically only sell for 35 yuan ($4.89) per kg at the terminal wholesale price. After being frozen and exported, these same fish can fetch a much higher price of 350 yuan/kg.

Datao is the only agricultural export enterprise in Taizhou that has integrated the entire industrial chain of live, fresh, and frozen seafood, and it has been exporting seafood two or three times a week on average this year.

To date, the company has completed the export of nearly 50 metric tons of seafood, with an output value of more than 7 million yuan. In the future, the company will continue to expand its overseas markets by increasing the variety of frozen seafood products to include crab, shrimp, and shellfish.