YANGON, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar private companies are striving to expand soft-shell crabs export market to European Union countries this year as production with the exporting items is making progress, sources with the Crab Entrepreneurs Association (CEA) said on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Myanmar will raise its soft-shell crab production by 25 percent starting this year, due to the high foreign demand, earlier reports said.

The soft-shell crabs are mostly exported to China, China's Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, Singapore and Malaysia, from where they are transited to more countries and the monthly export amounted to 80 to 100 tons.

During the first three quarters (April-December) of 2009-10 fiscal year, Myanmar earned a total of 28 million U.S. dollars from the crab export alone against the target of 35 million dollars.

In 2008-09, the country fetched 31.5 million dollars from crab export, figures showed.

Myanmar achieved soft-shell crab production on its own with its raw material after two year's endeavors in the move.

Soft-shell crab has become a new export item of the country's marine export products in addition to fresh-water fish, crabs and prawns.

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