Shrimp Farm Calculator — Yield, Feed and Margin per Cycle
Flexes survival, harvest weight, price and FCR — the four variables shrimp farms live and die by.
Calculator inputs
Semi-int. 15–40, intensive 60–150, biofloc 150–400
Results
Annual harvest
45,000 kg × 2.5 cycles
Annual revenue
$765,000
Feed cost
$236,250
Gross margin (before OPEX & CAPEX)
$528,750
Results at a glance
| Output | Pessimistic | Base case | Optimistic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual harvest | 86.1 tons/yr | 112.5 tons/yr | 136.1 tons/yr |
| Annual revenue | $526,702 | $765,000 | $1,018,215 |
| Feed cost | $198,804 | $236,250 | $257,276 |
| Gross margin (before OPEX & CAPEX) | $327,898 | $528,750 | $760,939 |
Scenario range
Annual harvest
Turn this result into 1–3 supplier quotes
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How supplier matching works
- 1. Private brief. Your spec goes only to manufacturers we have selected for the right category, capacity and export experience.
- 2. Confidential outreach. Suppliers see the technical spec — not your name, company or exact location — until you accept a quote.
- 3. 1–3 comparable quotes. Typically within 5–10 business days, aligned on scope so you can compare like-for-like.
- 4. Financing intro (optional). If needed, we introduce your project to a financing partner. No fee to buyers.
How do I calculate shrimp farm yield and profit?
Harvested tonnage = pond area × stocking density × survival × harvest weight ÷ 1,000. Revenue is tonnage × farm-gate price; gross margin subtracts feed (tonnage × FCR × feed price) along with post-larvae, energy and labour. Model a pessimistic survival case too — it moves the whole business case.
In short
Shrimp Farm Calculator turns pond area, stocking density, survival to harvest, harvest weight, fcr, farmgate price, feed cost and cycles per year into annual harvest, annual revenue, feed cost and gross margin (before opex & capex). Whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) farming economics come down to stocking density (PL/m²), survival, average harvest weight and FCR. This tool models yield, feed load and gross margin per cycle for semi-intensive, intensive and biofloc systems — matching what our sourcing engine uses to pre-qualify projects. Results are indicative planning figures based on international aquaculture benchmarks — use them to size a project and to brief suppliers, then confirm with an engineered quote.
- Pond area (ha)
- Stocking density (PL/m²) — Semi-int. 15–40, intensive 60–150, biofloc 150–400
- Survival to harvest (%)
- Harvest weight (g)
- FCR
- Farmgate price ($/kg)
- Feed cost ($/kg)
- Cycles per year
- Annual harvest
- Annual revenue
- Feed cost
- Gross margin (before OPEX & CAPEX)
- Enter pond area, stocking density, survival to harvest, harvest weight, fcr, farmgate price, feed cost and cycles per year.
- 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 Farm Calculator estimate?
The Shrimp Farm Calculator estimates annual harvest, annual revenue, feed cost 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
- Stocking assumptions and density
- Mortality and survival assumptions
- Growth cycle length and cycles per year
Shrimp yield formula
Harvest (kg/cycle) = Pond area (m²) × Density (PL/m²) × Survival (%) × Harvest weight (g) ÷ 1,000
Feed requirement = harvest × FCR. Annual output = harvest per cycle × cycles per year. 1 ha = 10,000 m². Semi-intensive systems typically run 15–40 PL/m², intensive 60–150 PL/m², biofloc and super-intensive 150–400 PL/m².
Based on: pond area, stocking density, survival to harvest, harvest weight.
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, stocking assumptions and density, mortality and survival assumptions, growth cycle length and cycles per year. 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 Farm Calculator · calculation version 3.0.0 · reviewed 2026-08-21 by FishMatch Group technical editorial team · 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
Model vannamei pond yield, feed demand, revenue and feed-only gross margin per cycle and per year.
How it was calculated
- stocked_animals = pond_area_ha × 10,000 × density_PL_per_m2
- harvested_animals = stocked_animals × survival_% ÷ 100
- harvest_kg_per_cycle = harvested_animals × harvest_weight_g ÷ 1000
- annual_harvest_kg = harvest_kg_per_cycle × cycles_per_year
- annual_feed_kg = annual_harvest_kg × FCR
- revenue = annual_harvest_kg × farmgate_price; feed_cost = annual_feed_kg × feed_price
- gross_margin = revenue − feed_cost (feed only — excludes all other OPEX and CAPEX)
Where each value comes from
- Pond area
- Buyer input
- Stocking density
- Buyer input
- Survival
- Buyer input
- Harvest weight
- Buyer input
- FCR
- Reference assumption
- Farmgate price
- Buyer input
- Feed price
- Buyer input
- Cycles per year
- Buyer input
What the outputs mean
- Annual harvest tonnage
- Annual revenue at the buyer's own price input
- Feed cost at the buyer's own feed price
- Gross margin BEFORE all non-feed OPEX and before CAPEX — this is not profit
Biological assumptions
- FCR is applied to harvest biomass rather than biomass gain, which slightly overstates feed for a heavily stocked PL cohort. Treat the feed figure as a conservative planning value.
- Survival is a scenario input. Disease events (AHPND/EMS, WSSV, EHP) can move it far outside any scenario shown.
Limitations
- Prices are buyer inputs. FishMatch publishes no shrimp price forecast as fact.
- No system, liner, probiotic, biofloc or automation configuration eliminates disease risk.
- Cycles per year are climate- and site-dependent and cannot be assumed.
What must be confirmed before you build
- Post-larvae health status and hatchery source
- Site salinity, water source and discharge
- Aeration and backup-power plan
- Full OPEX build-up before any margin conclusion
Sources for default assumptions
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.
| Pond area | 5 ha |
|---|---|
| Stocking density | 60 PL/m² |
| Survival to harvest | 75 % |
| Harvest weight | 20 g |
| FCR | 1.4 |
| Farmgate price | 6.8 $/kg |
| Feed cost | 1.5 $/kg |
| Cycles per year | 2.5 |
| Annual harvest | 112.5 tons/yr |
|---|---|
| Annual revenue | $765,000 |
| Feed cost | $236,250 |
| Gross margin (before OPEX & CAPEX) | $528,750 |
Who should use the shrimp farm calculator?
Commercial shrimp farm owners, pond managers and investors planning or upgrading a pond, lined-pond or intensive shrimp system.
What decision does it support?
Whether the shrimp pond or system plan is sized and budgeted realistically before talking to equipment suppliers.
What inputs do you need?
- Pond area (ha)
- Stocking density (PL/m²)
- Survival to harvest (%)
- Harvest weight (g)
- FCR
- Farmgate price ($/kg)
- Feed cost ($/kg)
- Cycles per year
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.
Source the shrimp equipment for this plan
Take your yield and density targets to the manufacturers that build the aeration, liner and feeding systems to match.
Equipment categories
Open an RFQ by market
Technical checklist
Short answer: Shrimp farm 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.
- Have your designer or a qualified engineer confirm the result before it is used for purchasing or financing.
- 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.
- Pond area: starts at 5 ha
- Stocking density: starts at 60 PL/m²
- Survival to harvest: starts at 75 %
- Harvest weight: starts at 20 g
- FCR: starts at 1.4
- Farmgate price: starts at 6.8 $/kg
- Feed cost: starts at 1.5 $/kg
- Cycles per year: starts at 2.5
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
- Add aeration energy, PL, labor, pond prep and financing for full net. Biofloc systems tolerate 3–4× the stocking density of earthen ponds.
Worked example — 5 ha intensive vannamei farm
- Pond area
- 5 ha (50,000 m²)
- Stocking density
- 60 PL/m²
- Survival
- 75%
- Harvest weight
- 20 g
- Cycles per year
- 2.5
≈ 45 t per cycle, ≈ 112 t per year, ≈ 157 t of feed per year at FCR 1.4
At that biomass the farm needs meaningful installed aeration with standby capacity, plus intake and effluent treatment. Model the aeration load before budgeting the equipment package.
What each input really controls
Two inputs — density and survival — move the result more than everything else combined.
- Stocking density (PL/m²) sets peak biomass, and therefore aeration horsepower, water exchange and effluent load. It is an equipment decision as much as a biological one.
- Survival is where projections break. Plan on 70–85% for well-run intensive systems, lower where disease pressure (EHP, WSSV, AHPND) is unmanaged.
- Harvest weight drives price band: 20 g and 30 g shrimp sell into different markets at materially different prices.
- FCR of 1.3–1.6 is realistic in commercial vannamei. Feeding method — manual, timer or acoustic demand — is the main lever on it.
- Cycles per year depend on climate and harvest weight: 2–3 cycles in tropical conditions, fewer where water temperature drops seasonally.
From yield to equipment sizing
Once the model gives peak biomass, the equipment package follows. Aeration is sized on oxygen demand at peak biomass and maximum water temperature — commonly 8–16 HP/ha for semi-intensive lined ponds and 20–35 HP/ha for intensive systems. Pumping follows daily exchange rate, water treatment follows intake quality and discharge limits, and feeding equipment follows daily feed volume in kg/day. Exact sizing depends on species, biomass, temperature, salinity and site conditions.
What this model does not include
The output is a gross margin over feed cost, not a full P&L. Post-larvae, energy, labour, chemicals, harvest, financing, depreciation, insurance and CAPEX recovery sit on top. Use it to screen a concept, then move to a full CAPEX and operating-cost model before financing.
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