(Yicai Global) June 13 -- The output of China's crayfish industry reached CNY268.5 billion (USD41.9 billion) last year, up 83 percent from the previous year on an increasingly comprehensive supply chain and popularity among young adults in Chinese key cities. 

The crawfish industry has evolved from an initial fishing and catering model into a complete industrial chain covering breeding, processing, export, logistics, and catering, according to a report from the country's agricultural ministry and China Society of Fisheries. 

Last year, the value of the related farming industry was CNY48.5 billion, while tertiary service sector earned CNY20 billion in revenue and catering brought in CNY200 billion, state-backed Xinhua News Agency reported. Nearly 5,000 companies were engaged in mudbugs' production and sales in China, while the entire supply chain employed some 5.2 million workers.

Crawdaddies, seasonal delicacies in Chinese cuisine, are served at an array of options from traditional street food stalls, branded restaurants, and online food delivery. Young people aged between 20 and 39 who live in big cities in eastern and central China are the main consumers. The annual consumption of crawfish exceeded 10,000 tons in the three cities of Beijing, Shanghai, and Nanjing, as well as in central China's Wuhan province.

Editor: Emmi Laine