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

The main variables are species and strain, system type (ras, pond, cage, tank), water quality limits (tan, co₂, solids), operating strategy and staffing. Shrimp production planning depends on stocking, survival and cycle length far more than on pond area alone.

What is the cost per kg of farmed shrimp?

It varies widely by system and country. Intensive vannamei pond farms commonly plan around $3–$5 per kg of cash operating cost, with feed usually the largest share and energy second. Extensive systems can be lower per kg but produce far less per hectare, and super-intensive or RAS systems generally run higher because of energy and capital intensity. Use your own feed price, tariff, survival and labour figures rather than a published benchmark — those four inputs alone explain most of the spread between farms.

What is included in shrimp production cost per kg?

This calculator covers cash operating cost: feed, post-larvae, electricity, labour, chemicals and probiotics, maintenance and spares, and other OPEX such as admin, fuel and licences. It excludes depreciation, financing cost, land, working capital and post-harvest logistics. For a bankable appraisal you must add those separately.

How does FCR affect shrimp cost per kg?

Directly and linearly on the feed line. Feed cost per kg harvested equals FCR × feed price, so at $1.35/kg feed, improving FCR from 1.6 to 1.5 removes about $0.135 from every kilogram produced. On a 300 t farm that is roughly $40,000 a year, which is why feed management and feeder accuracy usually repay their capital cost quickly.

How much does energy add to shrimp production cost?

In intensive pond systems electricity commonly lands between $0.20 and $0.45 per kg harvested, dominated by aeration and pumping. The figure depends on installed aeration load, run hours, aerator efficiency and local tariff. The sensitivity row in this calculator shows what a 25% tariff increase would do to your specific case.

Why is my seed cost per kg so high?

Almost always low survival or low harvest weight. Seed cost per kilo is PL price × PL stocked per kilo harvested, and PL per kilo rises sharply as survival falls. If your seed line looks heavy, the problem to fix is nursery performance, post-larvae quality and biosecurity, not the PL purchase price.

Should fixed costs be included in cost per kg?

Yes for commercial decision-making. Labour, maintenance and admin do not disappear when a cycle underperforms, so excluding them makes a farm look profitable when it is not. This model spreads them across your stated annual production, which also shows why unused capacity is expensive.

How do I use cost per kg in a supplier RFQ?

Ask suppliers to quote against your production target and state the energy consumption and expected lifetime of their equipment. Then rerun this calculator with each supplier's energy figure. A more expensive aeration package with better oxygen transfer efficiency frequently wins on cost per kilogram even when it loses on purchase price.

Are these cost figures a benchmark for my country?

No. Every output here comes from the values you enter. FishMatch Group does not publish national production cost benchmarks, because feed prices, tariffs, labour rates and survival differ too much between and within countries for a single figure to be meaningful.

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

Cost per kilogram is the number that decides whether a shrimp farm survives a price cycle. Enter annual harvest, FCR, feed and post-larvae prices, energy use, labour, chemicals and maintenance to see a full cost breakdown and which variable moves the total most.

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

Turn this result into 1–3 supplier quotes

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3. 1–3 comparable quotes. Typically within 5–10 business days, aligned on scope so you can compare like-for-like.
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%. Cost per kilogram is the number that decides whether a shrimp farm survives a price cycle. This tool converts annual harvest, FCR, feed price, post-larvae cost, energy, labour, treatment chemicals and maintenance into a full cost-per-kg breakdown, then shows how sensitive that figure is to FCR, survival, feed price and energy tariff. 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?

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 0.9.0 · reviewed 2026-08-21 by FishMatch Group technical editorial team · confidence: planning estimate · methodology review pending

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

Cost per kilogram is the number that decides whether a shrimp farm survives a price cycle. This tool converts annual harvest, FCR, feed price, post-larvae cost, energy, labour, treatment chemicals and maintenance into a full cost-per-kg breakdown, then shows how sensitive that figure is to FCR, survival, feed price and energy tariff.

How it was calculated

Formula documentation for this tool has not yet been individually reviewed and published.

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

Limitations

This tool has not yet passed the documented-methodology review. Treat every output as an unverified planning estimate.
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 and energy usually dominate intensive pond and RAS shrimp costs; in extensive systems seed and labour weigh more heavily.
Indicative planning estimates based on your own inputs — not a quotation, benchmark or guarantee of farm performance.

What must be confirmed before you build

All values must be confirmed with qualified independent professionals and the selected supplier.

Sources for default assumptions

FAO — Aquaculture development and technical guidelinesprimary

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.

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.

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 and energy usually dominate intensive pond and RAS shrimp costs; in extensive systems seed and labour weigh more heavily.
Indicative planning estimates based on your own inputs — not a quotation, benchmark or guarantee of farm performance.

Worked example — 300 t/yr intensive pond farm

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

Indicative production cost ≈ $3.54/kg before depreciation and financing.

Add depreciation, interest and working capital before comparing against a farmgate price — this model covers cash operating cost only.

Why cost per kg beats every other shrimp KPI

Yield per hectare, survival and FCR are all inputs to one commercial question: what does a kilo cost to put on a truck? A farm at 70% survival with cheap energy can beat a farm at 85% survival on an expensive tariff. Cost per kg is also the only figure a buyer, a lender and a supplier can all interpret the same way, which is why it belongs at the top of any shrimp project appraisal — and in any RFQ where you are comparing equipment on lifetime economics rather than purchase price.

Feed typically dominates intensive vannamei cost, driven by FCR × feed price.
Seed cost per kg is really a survival metric — poor survival means more PL bought per kilo harvested.
Energy is the fastest-moving line item and the one most sensitive to equipment choice.
Labour, maintenance and admin are largely fixed, so they fall per kg as output rises.

Where survival hides inside the model

This calculator asks for post-larvae stocked per kilogram harvested rather than survival directly, because that is what actually drives seed spend. The relationship is PL/kg ≈ 1000 ÷ (harvest weight in grams × survival). At 20 g and 70% survival you need about 71 PL per kilo; at 20 g and 85% survival about 59. That difference is real money at scale, and it is the single clearest argument for investing in nursery systems, biosecurity and reliable aeration.

Reading the sensitivity rows

The three sensitivity lines show what a 0.1 improvement in FCR, a 10% feed price rise and a 25% tariff increase each do to cost per kilogram. Use them to decide where capital is best spent. If the tariff row dwarfs the FCR row, an aeration efficiency project or solar hybrid will beat a feed programme. If feed dominates, automatic feeding and feed management deserve the budget first.

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.