Where our calculator prices come from

Short answer: FishMatch does not hold a verified market price database. The numbers pre-filled in our cost calculators are illustrative starting points so the tool shows a result. They are not quotes, not averages of real supplier offers and not tied to any country or date. Replace them with your own dated quotes before relying on a result.

Shrimp cost per kg calculator

Every price in this calculator is an input you control: feed price ($/kg), post-larvae price ($/1,000 PL), electricity tariff ($/kWh), labour, chemicals, maintenance, other costs and selling price. The pre-filled values (for example feed at 1.35 $/kg or electricity at 0.12 $/kWh) are illustrative only.

Feed cost = harvest kg × FCR × feed price.
Post-larvae cost = harvest kg × PL per kg harvested × price per PL.
Energy cost = harvest kg × kWh per kg × tariff.
Cost per kg = all annual costs ÷ harvest kg. Cash operating cost only — no depreciation, financing or tax.

Where to get real numbers: your feed mill and hatchery invoices or written quotes (with date and Incoterm), your electricity bill tariff, and your payroll.

Open the shrimp cost per kg calculator

Farm equipment cost calculator

This calculator works differently: it starts from built-in equipment cost figures per tonne of annual capacity, by system type (pond, biofloc, cage, RAS, hatchery). It then multiplies by a regional factor and an automation factor, and adds your installation and spares percentages. The package split (aeration, pumps, filtration and so on) is a fixed share of that total.

These built-in figures have no published source. They are rough internal planning assumptions, not FAO data, not supplier price lists and not averages of FishMatch quotes. The regional and automation factors are assumptions too. That is why the result is shown as a wide range (−15% to +20%).

Use it only to see the order of magnitude and which equipment packages usually dominate. For a budget you can defend, use real dated quotes in the equipment total-cost comparison, which uses only the prices you enter.

Open the farm equipment cost calculator

What both calculators leave out

Land, civil works, permits, import duties, taxes, financing, currency changes and working capital are not included unless you add them yourself. Results are planning estimates, not supplier quotes, and are not a promise of cost or savings.

Turning estimates into real prices

For commercial projects of USD 250,000 or more, our team can review a structured request and collect comparable offers. Calculators stay free and need no sign-in.

Start a project request Calculator methodology

Short answer

How do you size and cost Price Sources?

Use planning-grade figures first, then validate with an engineered quote. The Price Sources model on this page converts your project inputs into indicative sizing and cost figures based on international aquaculture benchmarks. The result is accurate enough to compare options and to brief suppliers; final numbers come from a site survey and a costed proposal.

Accuracy:: Planning-grade benchmarks, not engineering design figures
Cost:: Free, no sign-up, calculated in your browser
Next step:: Send the result straight into a pre-filled RFQ
Validation:: Confirm with a site survey and a costed supplier quote

How do you size and cost Price Sources?

How does FishMatch Group source suppliers for this requirement?

You submit one structured request. We translate it into a technical RFQ, run it against qualified manufacturers and integrators in the relevant categories, and return normalised quotations you can compare side by side on scope, lead time and total cost of ownership.

Do buyers see supplier names during the sourcing process?

No. Supplier identities stay confidential during discovery and evaluation. You receive anonymised, comparable technical and commercial packages, and introductions happen only after both sides are qualified and agree to proceed.

Before you request quotes

Costs & budgeting

How much does a commercial fish farm cost to build?

Budget ranges depend on system type, not on country alone. Pond and cage projects are usually the lowest capital per tonne of annual output, while recirculating (RAS) projects carry the highest equipment and energy share because filtration, oxygenation and backup power are mandatory. Reliable numbers come from a sized bill of quantities — species, target tonnage, water source and grow-out temperature — not from a generic price list. Use the FishMatch calculators to size the project, then submit an RFQ so quotes are priced against the same specification.

What drives the price differences between aquaculture equipment quotes?

Most spread between quotes comes from scope, not from margin: included spares, installation and commissioning, control and automation level, materials (HDPE vs steel vs FRP), certification and testing, delivery terms (EXW vs CIF) and warranty length. Two quotes are only comparable when they answer the same specification. A structured RFQ fixes the scope so differences reflect real engineering choices.

What operating costs should a business plan include?

Feed is normally the largest recurring cost, followed by energy (highest in RAS), labour, fingerlings or post-larvae, health management, water treatment consumables and maintenance. Financing cost and working capital for the first production cycle are frequently underestimated. FishMatch cost tools separate CAPEX from OPEX so the payback assumption is visible rather than implied.

Start a structured RFQ