A live farm-bred crocodile is displayed for sale at a supermarket in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, south China in the undated photo. [Photo: Strait News]

Although wild crocodiles are strictly forbidden for trade or sale by law, yet a farm-bred crocodile that is reported to be put on sale at a local supermarket in city Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian province, still surprised many local customers.

According to Strait News' report on Wednesday, the said croc on sale is a 1.6 meter long second-generation reptile bred and raised by a farm from southern Guangdong province. It is on display at an Order-or-Buy-it-now price of 1,800 yuan. But there have been no buyers or orders yet.

The supermarket explained, however, that it got both a license and a quarantine certificate on such a new sale as it abides by the country's law that stipulates crocodiles are not allowed for trade or sale unless they are second generation farm-bred ones. It says the new business was arranged to target high-end customers before the upcoming Chinese lunar New Year that falls on Jan. 26.

The market says it will get the croc slaughtered and sold in parts if no buyers or orders turn up in four days by Jan. 18. It has got its own trained butchers to facilitate the croc sale.

Besides the fixed price, the market also gave out detailed price tags for different body parts of the croc. Its feet, for instance, will be the most expensive parts, bearing a price tag of 118 yuan per kilogram.

The crocodile is so much expensive only because its meat, bones and shells are full of protein and amino acids and are therefore nutritious, the report said.

(CRI January 16, 2009)