SHANGHAI, Sept. 11 -- A SMALL amount of the famous delicacy Suzhou Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs will be in markets this weekend - but at an increased price.

The first batch of 30 to 50 tons of the popular crabs will be available in Shanghai on Saturday.

But with market demand and rising costs of production, the price will be five to 10 percent above last year's price which was 240 yuan (US$31.2) per kilogram, according to the Suzhou Yangcheng Lake Hairy Crab Association.

The association warned that any crabs being sold now in city markets are not the real thing.

"Customers can only purchase genuine Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs at large supermarkets such as Carrefour and E-mart and other licensed stores," said Yang Weilong, the association director. "Large quantities of crabs will be available around the Mid-Autumn Festival that falls on September 25 this year and accordingly the price will be a little higher then."

He suggested that around October 10 the price would be dropping after the week-long National Day holidays.

Yang said the average weight of each crab this year was 20 to 30 percent heavier than for last year. "The male crab was an average 90 grams and female is 120 grams this year."

The crabs are putting on weight for three reasons: Moderate weather has kept the water temperature at 28 degrees Celsius, the most ideal temperature for the crabs to grow in; environmental protection authorities have shut down some companies along the Yangcheng Lake to ensure cleaner water for the crabs; thirdly, crab breeders have been using scientifically proven breeding techniques to get bigger crabs.

Yangcheng Lake crabs, said to be the tastiest of all crabs, are almost a must for Shanghai people in the fall.