The Tianyi laver trading market in Rudong county, Nantong, Jiangsu province, welcomed its third dried laver trading fair of the year.

A total of 48 selling member companies participated in the trading, offering 49,902 standard boxes of dried laver. Twenty-six buying member companies participated in bidding, with 23 of them winning bids for 48,835 standard boxes. The transaction rate reached 97.86 percent, with a total transaction amount of 119.70 million yuan ($16.55 million).

The average transaction price was 58.36 yuan per hundred sheets, which is 13.56 yuan higher than the same period last year. The highest transaction price reached 66.30 yuan per hundred sheets. This set new records in both transaction volume and price over the past six years.

"This year's dried laver from Rudong is excellent, mainly due to favorable sea conditions. The algae are healthy and fresh, with very few impurities,” praised by Norio Takaoka, the president of Takaokaya, a Japanese corporation, while purchasing dried laver at the market.

"The harvested Porphyra laver is particularly outstanding. With reduced production in Japan and South Korea this year, the Porphyra laver harvested in Rudong in March can be said to be the best in the world," he added.

Takaoka has been purchasing dried laver from Rudong for over 30 years, accounting for about 20 percent of the county's total production each year.

Located at the confluence of the Yellow Sea and the Yangtze River, Rudong benefits from moderate salinity and high microbial content in its seawater. The harvested Porphyra laver has a bright color, fresh aroma, and tender texture.

Due to its unique flavor, it has become a nationally recognized geographical indication product in China, enjoying a wide reputation and high prestige both domestically and internationally. 

The Tianyi laver trading market in Rudong. [Photo/WeChat account: rudongfb]