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.

Free · results open

Shrimp Production Cost per Kg Calculator

Enter your measured annual harvest, feed use, dated USD quotes and operating costs. Starting values are illustrative, not market benchmarks. Historical FAO production provides context only—not farm cost inputs.

Starting numbers are illustrative scenarios—not market prices. Replace them with your farm records and dated USD quotes. This is cash operating cost, not full investment cost.

Flexes FCR, feed price, energy intensity and seed requirement — the four variables that move shrimp cost per kg most.

Annual harvest(t/yr)

Feed conversion ratio (FCR)(kg feed / kg gain)

Feed price($/kg)

Post-larvae price($/1000 PL)

PL stocked per kg harvested(PL/kg)

≈ 1000 ÷ (harvest weight g × survival). 20 g at 70% ≈ 71 PL/kg

Electricity use(kWh/kg harvested)

Electricity tariff($/kWh)

Annual labour cost($/yr)

Chemicals, probiotics & treatment($/kg)

Maintenance & spares($/yr)

Other OPEX (admin, fuel, licences)($/yr)

Current survival(%)

Used for the survival sensitivity line.

Selling price($/kg)

Production cost per kg

$3.53/kg

$1,060,200 total annual cost for 300 t

Feed

$2.03/kg

Post-larvae / seed

$0.32/kg

Energy (aeration, pumping, plant)

$0.26/kg

Labour

$0.4/kg

Results at a glance

Output	Pessimistic	Base case	Optimistic
Production cost per kg	$4.22/kg	$3.53/kg	$3.11/kg
Feed	$2.61/kg	$2.03/kg	$1.68/kg
Post-larvae / seed	$0.36/kg	$0.32/kg	$0.28/kg
Energy (aeration, pumping, plant)	$0.32/kg	$0.26/kg	$0.22/kg
Labour	$0.4/kg	$0.4/kg	$0.4/kg
Chemicals & treatment	$0.18/kg	$0.18/kg	$0.18/kg
Maintenance & spares	$0.2/kg	$0.2/kg	$0.2/kg
Other OPEX	$0.15/kg	$0.15/kg	$0.15/kg
Sensitivity — FCR improved by 0.1	−$0.151/kg	−$0.135/kg	−$0.124/kg
Sensitivity — feed price +10%	+$0.261/kg	+$0.203/kg	+$0.168/kg
Sensitivity — feed price −10%	−$0.261/kg	−$0.203/kg	−$0.168/kg
Sensitivity — survival +5 points (70% → 75%)	−$0.024/kg	−$0.021/kg	−$0.018/kg
Margin at your selling price	$1.28/kg	$1.97/kg	$2.39/kg
Sensitivity — electricity tariff +25%	+$0.079/kg	+$0.066/kg	+$0.056/kg

Scenario range

Production cost per kg

PessimisticBaseOptimistic

Result summary with the inputs used

Inputs used

Annual harvest: 300 t/yr
Feed conversion ratio (FCR): 1.5 kg feed / kg gain
Feed price: 1.35 $/kg
Post-larvae price: 4.5 $/1000 PL
PL stocked per kg harvested: 70 PL/kg
Electricity use: 2.2 kWh/kg harvested
Electricity tariff: 0.12 $/kWh
Annual labour cost: 120,000 $/yr
Chemicals, probiotics & treatment: 0.18 $/kg
Maintenance & spares: 60,000 $/yr
Other OPEX (admin, fuel, licences): 45,000 $/yr
Current survival: 70 %
Selling price: 5.5 $/kg

Results · Base case scenario

Production cost per kg: $3.53/kg
Feed: $2.03/kg
Post-larvae / seed: $0.32/kg
Energy (aeration, pumping, plant): $0.26/kg
Labour: $0.4/kg
Chemicals & treatment: $0.18/kg
Maintenance & spares: $0.2/kg
Other OPEX: $0.15/kg
Sensitivity — FCR improved by 0.1: −$0.135/kg
Sensitivity — feed price +10%: +$0.203/kg
Sensitivity — feed price −10%: −$0.203/kg
Sensitivity — survival +5 points (70% → 75%): −$0.021/kg
Margin at your selling price: $1.97/kg
Sensitivity — electricity tariff +25%: +$0.066/kg

Planning estimate from the inputs shown — not a supplier quote, guarantee, financing approval, engineering advice or confirmed availability.

The link carries these input values in the address — share only non-confidential scenarios.

One-input sensitivity

Other inputs stay fixed; ± ranges are your stress tests, not forecasts or safe operating limits. Bounds are clamped to permitted inputs. Costs are USD examples, not quotes or guaranteed savings.

±20%

−20% · 1.2 kg feed / kg gain

Production cost per kg: $3.13/kg
Sensitivity — FCR improved by 0.1: −$0.135/kg
Margin at your selling price: $2.37/kg

= · 1.5 kg feed / kg gain

Production cost per kg: $3.53/kg
Sensitivity — FCR improved by 0.1: −$0.135/kg
Margin at your selling price: $1.97/kg

+20% · 1.8 kg feed / kg gain

Production cost per kg: $3.94/kg
Sensitivity — FCR improved by 0.1: −$0.135/kg
Margin at your selling price: $1.56/kg

Sharing includes all calculator inputs. Use non-confidential scenarios only; nothing is sent to CRM.

Include these inputs in my RFQ draft in this tab

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How supplier matching works

1. Private brief. Your spec goes only to manufacturers we have selected for the right category, capacity and export experience.
2. Confidential outreach. Suppliers see the technical spec — not your name, company or exact location — until you accept a quote.
3. Comparable quotes. Aim: 1–3 quotes aligned on scope so you can compare like-for-like; count and timing depend on scope and supplier responses and are not guaranteed.
4. Financing intro (optional). If needed, we introduce your project to a financing partner. No fee to buyers.

Read the calculators guide (12 languages)

In short

Shrimp Production Cost per Kg Calculator turns annual harvest, feed conversion ratio (fcr), feed price, post-larvae price, pl stocked per kg harvested, electricity use, electricity tariff, annual labour cost, chemicals, probiotics & treatment, maintenance & spares, other opex (admin, fuel, licences), current survival and selling price into production cost per kg, feed, post-larvae / seed, energy (aeration, pumping, plant), labour, chemicals & treatment, maintenance & spares, other opex, sensitivity — fcr improved by 0.1, sensitivity — feed price +10%, sensitivity — feed price −10%, sensitivity — survival +5 points (70% → 75%), margin at your selling price and sensitivity — electricity tariff +25%. Estimate shrimp cash operating cost from your annual harvest, feed records, dated USD quotes, electricity and fixed operating costs. Starting values are illustrative—not verified market prices. Compare arithmetic sensitivities, not promised improvements or a full investment appraisal. Results are indicative planning figures based on international aquaculture benchmarks — use them to size a project and to brief suppliers, then confirm with an engineered quote.

What you enter

Annual harvest (t/yr)
Feed conversion ratio (FCR) (kg feed / kg gain)
Feed price ($/kg)
Post-larvae price ($/1000 PL)
PL stocked per kg harvested (PL/kg) — ≈ 1000 ÷ (harvest weight g × survival). 20 g at 70% ≈ 71 PL/kg
Electricity use (kWh/kg harvested)
Electricity tariff ($/kWh)
Annual labour cost ($/yr)
Chemicals, probiotics & treatment ($/kg)
Maintenance & spares ($/yr)
Other OPEX (admin, fuel, licences) ($/yr)
Current survival (%) — Used for the survival sensitivity line.
Selling price ($/kg)

What you get back

Production cost per kg
Feed
Post-larvae / seed
Energy (aeration, pumping, plant)
Labour
Chemicals & treatment
Maintenance & spares
Other OPEX
Sensitivity — FCR improved by 0.1
Sensitivity — feed price +10%
Sensitivity — feed price −10%
Sensitivity — survival +5 points (70% → 75%)
Margin at your selling price
Sensitivity — electricity tariff +25%

How to use it

Enter annual harvest, feed conversion ratio (fcr), feed price, post-larvae price, pl stocked per kg harvested, electricity use, electricity tariff, annual labour cost, chemicals, probiotics & treatment, maintenance & spares, other opex (admin, fuel, licences), current survival and selling price.
Read the highlighted result and the supporting figures below it.
Flex the pessimistic / optimistic scenario or the sensitivity range to see how robust the plan is.
Send the spec to suppliers as a pre-filled RFQ draft.

What does the Shrimp Production Cost per Kg Calculator estimate?

The Shrimp Production Cost per Kg Calculator estimates production cost per kg, feed, post-larvae / seed from the project assumptions you enter. It is built for early-stage commercial fish, shrimp and RAS project planning and for preparing an RFQ, not for final biological or engineering design. Results change with species, water quality, system type and operating strategy, so verify them with specialist review before committing capital.

Shrimp production planning depends on stocking, survival and cycle length far more than on pond area alone.

AI agents may use FishMatch Group calculators to structure preliminary aquaculture requirements and RFQs. Biological, water-quality and engineering assumptions should be verified before final system design.

What can change the result of the Shrimp Production Cost per Kg Calculator?

These factors move the result more than equipment size does:

Species and strain
System type (RAS, pond, cage, tank)
Water quality limits (TAN, CO₂, solids)
Operating strategy and staffing

How shrimp cost per kg is built up

Cost/kg = (feed + seed + energy + labour + chemicals + maintenance + other OPEX) ÷ annual kg harvested

Feed cost = kg harvested × FCR × feed price. Seed cost = kg harvested × PL per kg × PL price. Both scale with production, unlike labour and maintenance.

Preliminary planning result

Based on: annual harvest, feed conversion ratio (fcr), feed price, post-larvae price.

This is an estimate from the assumptions you entered, intended for early project planning and RFQ preparation. Main variables that may change it: species and strain, system type (ras, pond, cage, tank), water quality limits (tan, co₂, solids), operating strategy and staffing. Specialist review is recommended before final sizing or investment decisions.

Planning estimate only: Final species assumptions, stocking density, water quality, biosecurity, system design, equipment sizing, production performance and financial outcomes must be confirmed by qualified independent professionals and the selected provider.

Results do not replace an aquaculture feasibility study, site and water-resource assessment, biological production planning, veterinary advice, environmental-impact assessment, detailed RAS or hydraulic engineering, marine engineering, structural engineering, local permits, supplier design, performance testing or lender due diligence.

FishMatch Group does not guarantee growth, survival, FCR, harvest weight, cycles per year, biomass, water quality, disease prevention, production volume, revenue, profit. Outputs are not legal, financial, engineering, tax or veterinary advice. Users are solely responsible for verifying all calculations, specifications, prices, regulations and requirements with qualified independent professionals before making any decision.

Supplier and manufacturer listings are provided for research, transparency and discovery only. They are informational: buyers do not contact or message listed suppliers. Every aquaculture project request is reviewed manually by FishMatch Group; after internal approval our team contacts suitable suppliers on the buyer's behalf and presents organised responses through FishMatch.

How this estimate is calculated

Shrimp Production Cost per Kg Calculator · calculation version 1.0.0 · reviewed 2026-10-17 by automated arithmetic checks; independent professional review pending · confidence: planning estimate

Planning estimate only. Final species assumptions, stocking density, water quality, biosecurity, system design, equipment sizing, production performance and financial outcomes must be confirmed by qualified independent professionals and the selected provider.

Purpose

Compute cash operating cost from visitor records and dated USD quotes; no live farm-cost feed is used.

How it was calculated

harvest_kg = annual_tonnes × 1000
feed_USD = harvest_kg × FCR × feed_USD_per_kg
seed_USD = harvest_kg × PL_per_kg × USD_per_1000_PL ÷ 1000
electricity_USD = harvest_kg × kWh_per_kg × USD_per_kWh
total_USD = feed + seed + electricity + harvest_kg × chemicals_USD_per_kg + annual_labour + annual_maintenance + annual_other
cost_USD_per_kg = total_USD ÷ harvest_kg; operating_margin_per_kg = sale_price − cost_USD_per_kg
seed-only saving at fixed harvest = seed_USD × (1 − survival_pct ÷ min(100, survival_pct + 5))

Where each value comes from

Annual harvest: Buyer input
Feed conversion ratio (FCR): Buyer input
Feed price: Buyer input
Post-larvae price: Buyer input
PL stocked per kg harvested: Buyer input
Electricity use: Buyer input
Electricity tariff: Buyer input
Annual labour cost: Buyer input
Chemicals, probiotics & treatment: Buyer input
Maintenance & spares: Buyer input
Other OPEX (admin, fuel, licences): Buyer input
Current survival: Buyer input
Selling price: Buyer input

What the outputs mean

Annual cash OPEX and per-kg components; margin before excluded costs.
Sensitivity multipliers are hypothetical changes, not predictions or likelihoods.

Biological assumptions

Feed-to-harvest approximation assumes negligible starting biomass; biological FCR uses reconciled biomass gain.
Survival sensitivity holds harvest volume and harvest size constant and changes seed requirement only. PL/kg and survival must describe the same cohort.

Engineering assumptions

Electricity intensity requires metered records or qualified load/run-hour calculations.

Limitations

Starting values are illustrative, not verified prices. Replace with dated quotes; use USD throughout. No exchange rate is assumed.
Excludes CAPEX, depreciation, financing, taxes, land, working capital and post-harvest logistics.
FAO national farmed-production totals provide context, not farm costs or performance defaults.

What must be confirmed before you build

Harvest records, feed accounting, seed invoices, metered energy, tariffs and fixed costs for the same annual period.

Sources for default assumptions

FishMatch Group — Implemented cash-OPEX arithmetic and illustrative inputs—not an external price sourceprimary

Next step

Review every value above, correct anything that does not match your site, then transfer the reviewed figures into a structured RFQ. Nothing is sent to any supplier until you approve it. Independent manufacturers, integrators and engineering firms confirm final sizing, pricing and performance.

Worked example

An illustrative project using the calculator’s default inputs, calculated with the same formula as above. Not a real project.

Inputs
Annual harvest	300 t/yr
Feed conversion ratio (FCR)	1.5 kg feed / kg gain
Feed price	1.35 $/kg
Post-larvae price	4.5 $/1000 PL
PL stocked per kg harvested	70 PL/kg
Electricity use	2.2 kWh/kg harvested
Electricity tariff	0.12 $/kWh
Annual labour cost	120000 $/yr
Chemicals, probiotics & treatment	0.18 $/kg
Maintenance & spares	60000 $/yr
Other OPEX (admin, fuel, licences)	45000 $/yr
Current survival	70 %
Selling price	5.5 $/kg

Result
Production cost per kg	$3.53/kg
Feed	$2.03/kg
Post-larvae / seed	$0.32/kg
Energy (aeration, pumping, plant)	$0.26/kg
Labour	$0.4/kg
Chemicals & treatment	$0.18/kg
Maintenance & spares	$0.2/kg
Other OPEX	$0.15/kg
Sensitivity — FCR improved by 0.1	−$0.135/kg
Sensitivity — feed price +10%	+$0.203/kg
Sensitivity — feed price −10%	−$0.203/kg
Sensitivity — survival +5 points (70% → 75%)	−$0.021/kg
Margin at your selling price	$1.97/kg
Sensitivity — electricity tariff +25%	+$0.066/kg

Shrimp farming

Who should use the shrimp production cost per kg calculator?

Commercial shrimp farm owners, pond managers and investors planning or upgrading a pond, lined-pond or intensive shrimp system.

What decision does it support?

Whether the shrimp pond or system plan is sized and budgeted realistically before talking to equipment suppliers.

What inputs do you need?

Annual harvest (t/yr)
Feed conversion ratio (FCR) (kg feed / kg gain)
Feed price ($/kg)
Post-larvae price ($/1000 PL)
PL stocked per kg harvested (PL/kg)
Electricity use (kWh/kg harvested)
Electricity tariff ($/kWh)
Annual labour cost ($/yr)
Chemicals, probiotics & treatment ($/kg)
Maintenance & spares ($/yr)
Other OPEX (admin, fuel, licences) ($/yr)
Current survival (%)
Selling price ($/kg)

Is it for commercial farms or aquariums?

Built for commercial farms, hatcheries and projects. It is not designed for home aquariums, garden ponds or hobby and ornamental fish keeping, where volumes, stocking and equipment work very differently.

From pond measurements to equipment decisions

Can pond gallons determine how many fish or aerators I need?: No. Length × width × average water depth estimates a rectangular pond’s volume; sloping sides and irregular bottoms need additional measurements. One cubic metre is 1,000 litres or about 264.172 US gallons; Imperial gallons differ. Volume is only a starting point: stocking and oxygen capacity also depend on species, life stage, peak biomass and feed, water conditions, monitoring and backup.
How should I compare energy and feed costs before asking for quotes?: Use your own operating records and dated local prices. Electricity use is connected kW × load fraction × operating hours; multiply kWh by your tariff for energy cost. Review duty cycles and omitted charges separately. FCR relates feed to biomass gain for a defined cohort, not a guaranteed harvest. Vary one assumption at a time; modeled shrimp cost is not a market price or promised saving.
What belongs in a comparable aquaculture equipment RFQ?: Record species, production system, working water volume, peak biomass and feeding, water quality, power supply, redundancy and site constraints. Ask for identical scope, documented duty-point performance, freight, installation, commissioning, spares, warranty and exclusions. A calculator does not certify a design, diagnose disease or approve financing. You can explore tools without signing in; an RFQ is optional and human-reviewed.

Check the assumptions with the next tool

Prepare a reviewed RFQ Aquaculture equipment scope

FishMatch Group editorial synthesis · 17 October 2026 · engineering and site verification required

References: FAO pond water measurements; SRAC 3700, Pond Aeration. Sources support measurement and oxygen context, not equipment prices.

FAO SRAC 3700

Real production history—not invented farm prices

The calculator uses your farm records and dated USD quotes. Starting prices are illustrative, not FAO cost data, live prices or country benchmarks. No exchange rate is assumed.

Thailand: farmed shrimp and prawn production

2012: 609,552 t · official
2013: 325,395 t · official
2014: 279,907 t · official
2016: 327,561 t · official

FAO groups all farmed shrimps and prawns together. The page states timing only; it does not attribute the full decline to one cause.

Ecuador: farmed shrimp and prawn production

2010: 223,313 t · official
2015: 403,000 t · official
2020: 760,879 t · official
2023: 1,220,200 t · FAO-imputed

2023 is an FAO-imputed value (flag I). Growth in one country does not predict returns for a new project.

FAO FishStat, Global aquaculture production, release 2025.1.0 (CC BY 4.0). Tonnes are live-weight farmed production, not wild catch. The same series is used by the Intelligence cases; it cannot supply farm survival, FCR, feed prices or electricity tariffs.

Historical shocks help choose stress tests, not their numerical assumptions. Survival sensitivity here holds harvest fixed and changes seed requirement only; a disease-loss scenario needs separate harvest, feed and fixed-cost records. No forecast or treatment recommendation is produced.

Read the historical cases Explore production trends

Prepare a country-specific shrimp procurement brief

Use your own cost inputs, then define equipment duties and local sourcing questions for human review.

Equipment categories

Open an RFQ by market

Malaysia shrimp farm RFQ →

State requirements, seed checks and site delivery.

Pakistan shrimp farm RFQ →

Provincial approvals and saline-water project evidence.

Indonesia shrimp farm RFQ →

Island delivery, OSS/KKP questions and equipment support.

Vietnam shrimp farm RFQ →

Nursery, grow-out and discharge scope for the province.

Ecuador shrimp farm RFQ →

Authorisation status, pond upgrades and USD-priced service.

Singapore shrimp farm RFQ →

SFA licence, farm space and indoor recirculating scope.

Bangladesh shrimp farm RFQ →

District approvals, registered seed and flood-ready design.

Zimbabwe shrimp farm RFQ →

EIA route, enclosed systems, imported seed and power backup.

Côte d'Ivoire shrimp farm RFQ →

Lagoon site checks, impact study and imported seed.

Thailand shrimp farm RFQ →

DoF requirements, disease-aware design and local service.

Uganda shrimp farm RFQ →

Pioneer enclosed system, MAAIF/NEMA checks and imported seed.

Kenya shrimp farm RFQ →

Coastal site, KeFS/NEMA/water permits and post-larvae supply.

Ghana shrimp farm RFQ →

Fisheries Commission, EPA and water-use checks, lagoon-belt site evidence.

Nigeria shrimp farm RFQ →

Fisheries, EIA and water-licence questions; pioneer coastal or enclosed site.

South Africa shrimp farm RFQ →

Aquaculture, EIA, water-use and alien-species permits; heated enclosed systems.

China shrimp farm RFQ →

Aquaculture certificate, EIA category, water-abstraction permit and seed import approval.

Türkiye shrimp farm RFQ →

Ministry preliminary permit, ÇED screening, water allocation and seed import procedure.

New Zealand shrimp farm RFQ →

MPI biosecurity, resource consent and heated enclosed systems.

Sri Lanka shrimp farm RFQ →

NAQDA, coastal and CEA checks, disease-aware design.

Guatemala shrimp farm RFQ →

MAGA and MARN approvals, seasonal water and local service.

Honduras shrimp farm RFQ →

SAG/DIGEPESCA and environmental licensing, seasonal water.

France shrimp farm RFQ →

Prefecture/ICPE route, EU animal-health registration, heated RAS.

Germany shrimp farm RFQ →

Land and district permits, EU animal-health registration, heated RAS.

Spain shrimp farm RFQ →

Regional authorisation, EU animal-health registration, RAS or coastal.

Technical checklist

Short answer: Break down what a kilo of farmed shrimp actually costs to produce. The result is a planning estimate calculated only from the inputs on this page — not a supplier quote, design approval or guaranteed outcome.

Before you use the result

Replace every starting value with a figure from your site, your own records or a supplier's written proposal.
Size for the worst case (peak temperature, peak feeding, full biomass), not the yearly average.
Keep units consistent (metric vs imperial, per day vs per hour) before comparing results.
Verify before you buy: Post-larvae, feed and power prices from local quotes; survival from your own cycles.
Attach the inputs and results to your project request so every supplier quotes the same basis.

Sources

No external dataset is built in. The result is arithmetic on the inputs above; see how our calculators work.

Stated assumptions (starting values)

These are only starting points. Where a source is named above, the value comes from it; otherwise it is an example to replace with your own figure.

Annual harvest: starts at 300 t/yr
Feed conversion ratio (FCR): starts at 1.5 kg feed / kg gain
Feed price: starts at 1.35 $/kg
Post-larvae price: starts at 4.5 $/1000 PL
PL stocked per kg harvested: starts at 70 PL/kg
Electricity use: starts at 2.2 kWh/kg harvested
Electricity tariff: starts at 0.12 $/kWh
Annual labour cost: starts at 120000 $/yr
Chemicals, probiotics & treatment: starts at 0.18 $/kg
Maintenance & spares: starts at 60000 $/yr
Other OPEX (admin, fuel, licences): starts at 45000 $/yr
Current survival: starts at 70 %
Selling price: starts at 5.5 $/kg

Checklist reviewed 13 October 2026. Ready to price it? Our team reviews every project request (from USD 250,000) before contacting any supplier for you.

Notes

Survival and harvest weight enter this model through PL stocked per kg harvested — lower survival raises that figure and therefore raises seed cost per kg.
This is an operating cost model. It excludes depreciation, financing cost, land and working capital, so it is not a full landed cost of production.
Feed = harvested kg × FCR assumes negligible initial biomass or an economic feed-to-harvest ratio. For biological FCR, reconcile biomass gain, harvests and transfers first.
Indicative planning estimates based on your own inputs — not a quotation, benchmark or guarantee of farm performance.

Illustrative arithmetic only — assumed 300 t/yr

Annual harvest: 300 t (300,000 kg)
FCR × feed price: 1.5 × $1.35/kg = $2.03/kg
Seed: 70 PL/kg × $4.50/1000 = $0.32/kg
Energy: 2.2 kWh/kg × $0.12 = $0.26/kg
Labour + maintenance + other: $225,000/yr ÷ 300,000 kg = $0.75/kg
Chemicals & treatment: $0.18/kg

These illustrative inputs total $3.534/kg (rounded $3.53/kg), before excluded costs.

Not observed farm data or verified prices. All example inputs are assumptions; add excluded costs for a full appraisal.

Use comparable records and dated quotes

Use one annual period, one product basis and USD throughout. Record quote dates, delivery scope, tax treatment and energy billing terms. Differences between farms cannot be explained by national production totals. Include every cash operating cost in the appropriate line without double counting.

Survival and seed requirement

PL/kg = 1000 ÷ (harvest weight in grams × survival as a fraction), for a consistent cohort. An arithmetic-only assumption of 20 g at 70% gives about 71 PL/kg. The survival sensitivity holds harvest and size fixed; it is not a disease-loss forecast or a promised improvement.

Sensitivity is not an investment recommendation

FCR, feed-price, tariff and seed changes isolate arithmetic effects. Compare CAPEX, maintenance, downtime, backup capacity and qualified performance evidence separately before choosing equipment. A saving in one operating line does not establish payback.

What this result is — and is not

Use: Production cost per kilogram from survival, FCR and input costs.
Planning estimate, not a supplier quote or guarantee. It only reflects the inputs above.
Verify before you buy: Post-larvae, feed and power prices from local quotes; survival from your own cycles.

Commercial project route

Is your project a fit?

FishMatch Group handles commercial B2B projects with a total budget of USD 250,000 or more — new farms, hatcheries, RAS, cages, processing or expansions. The buyer sends one brief; our team reviews and structures the RFQ, then approaches suitable suppliers on the buyer's behalf. Buyers are not put in direct contact with manufacturers at this stage. Smaller or idea-stage projects can start with the calculators below and send the RFQ once scope and budget are clearer.

Which inputs change the estimate and the RFQ?

Calculator results and supplier quotes both depend on: species and life stage, production target (tonnes per year or PL per cycle), water source and quality (temperature, salinity, flow), system design (pond, cage, RAS, hatchery, processing), site and access, energy supply and price, permits, and timeline.

Calculator figures are planning estimates based on stated assumptions — not engineering designs or supplier quotes. Growth, survival and output depend on project-specific biology and operating conditions and are never guaranteed. Formulas, assumptions and sources: calculator methodology.

1. Size it

2. Equipment & project sourcing

Send a structured RFQ. A person checks scope and budget before any supplier is approached.

Start the project RFQ

3. Financing (separate)

Financing is a separate track. FishMatch Group does not lend or guarantee financing.

Aquaculture financing

Break down what a kilo of farmed shrimp actually costs to produce. FAQs

Annual cash operating cost divided by harvested kilograms. No verified national price benchmark is supplied. Replace illustrative starting values with your own records and dated USD quotes.

CAPEX, land, depreciation, financing, taxes, working capital and post-harvest logistics are not included unless explicitly entered in other costs without double counting.

Feed cost per harvested kg is modeled as FCR × feed price, assuming negligible initial biomass or an economic feed-to-harvest ratio. Biological FCR requires reconciled biomass gain for the same cohort.

No. The linked FAO series measures country-level farmed production in tonnes live weight. It does not provide farm FCR, survival, feed prices, power tariffs or future returns.

Where these prices come from — pre-filled values are illustrative, not market data.