It's harvest time for edible seaweed in Dalian

"The harvest season ranges from February to April every year," the farm operator, surnamed Zhao, told reporters, "The seaweed will be processed and sold to both domestic and overseas markets, especially in Japan and South Korea."

Because of the suitable climate and mature farming technology, this year's wakame quality is high, he said.

"Fresh wakame being just harvested from the sea can be sold at 1,400 yuan ($214) per ton, nearly double last year's price," Zhao said.

According to the bureau of agriculture and rural affairs in Dalian, the city's wakame cultivation area in 2021 was 57 square kilometers, scattered throughout Lyushunkou district, Jinpu New Area and Changhai county. Output in Dalian accounted for about 80 percent of the country's total.

Last year, 60 percent of the wakame products in Japan was imported from Dalian, sources in the bureau said.