Qingjiang Sturgeon Valley adds 442 ponds, set to quintuple caviar output
2026-03-27 20:03:19
By Chen Si.
Hubei Qingjiang Sturgeon Valley is positioning itself as a global caviar production hub, with its Phase II expansion set to quintupleoutput.
The project has added 442 land-based circular ponds across a 300 mu (20 hectares) site, doubling both water capacity and the sturgeon population. Supported by the recent completion of a world-class processing center, its annual production is expected to rise from around 120 tons to more than 500 tons.
Hubei Qingjiang Sturgeon Valley is positioning itself as a global caviar production hub, with its Phase II expansion set to quintupleoutput.
The project has added 442 land-based circular ponds across a 300 mu (20 hectares) site, doubling both water capacity and the sturgeon population. Supported by the recent completion of a world-class processing center, its annual production is expected to rise from around 120 tons to more than 500 tons.
Hubei Qingjiang Sturgeon Valley.
Fry are being transported from as far as Shandong and Guizhou provinces. As these new stock are introduced, the park’s total sturgeon population and aquaculture volume is expected toapproach 6,000 tons.
"Since the start of spring, our primary focus has been stocking all the ponds with fry as quickly as possible," said Ji Jianyi, General Manager of Hubei Qingjiang Sturgeon Valley Special Fisheries Co., Ltd. "Another batch of fry is set to arrive from Yunnan Province soon, and we plan to have all ponds fully stocked by May 1."
The 442 new land-based circular ponds.
Phase II marks not only an expansion in scale, but also a step forward in scientific aquaculture.
"Phase I focused primarily on indoor farming, integrated with photovoltaic power generation to create a 'zero-carbon' park," Ji explained. "Phase II addresses the most critical intermediate stage of sturgeon growth—the period after sex differentiation but before egg extraction—during which the fish require exposure to sunlight."
At this stage, feed is supplemented with Vitamin D to support calcium synthesis, helping accelerate growth and ensure key indicators, such as maturation rate and egg quality, meet market standards.
Meanwhile, a global caviar processing center, located adjacent to the aquaculture base, has been completed and is currently undergoing trial production and international certification. Together, the farming and processing facilities form a “dual-core” model combining large-scale production with advanced processing.
The new caviar processing center at Hubei Qingjiang Sturgeon Valley.
"Once the project reaches full operational capacity, our production output will be five times that of the original Honghuatao processing plant," Ji added. "Our caviar production capacity is set to increase from the previous 100–120 tons per year to over 500 tons."
Currently, the planned area of Hubei Qingjiang Sturgeon Valley covers 1,650 mu, a scale that far exceeds that of comparable facilities in the industry.
Looking ahead, the company expects to maintain a 70% compound annual growth rate, solidifying its position as a dominant force in the global luxury food market.
Fang Yonghua, Sun Yumin, Zhu Min, Wang Liuming also contributed to this story
