Shrimp Farm Buyer's Guide & Tender Preparation
Commercial shrimp farming has three viable modern archetypes: intensive pond, biofloc, and indoor RAS. This buyer's guide gives investors and operators the framework to specify, tender and evaluate any of the three — without depending on a single supplier's playbook.
1. Pick the archetype, then design
Extensive pond (5–15 t/ha) has the lowest CAPEX but the highest disease and weather risk. Semi-intensive (15–40 t/ha) with modest aeration and partial water exchange is the workhorse of most producing countries. Intensive biofloc (40–120 t/ha) requires disciplined water chemistry and reliable oxygen. Indoor RAS (200–500+ t/ha equivalent) is the highest CAPEX, highest control, longest payback path.
2. Biosecurity is the design driver
For any project intending to sell into export markets, WSSV, EMS and EHP have destroyed more equity than any market swing. Design biosecurity into the site layout, not as a bolt-on: separate access, footbaths, disinfected water intake, SPF/SPR PL sourcing, and single-batch stocking discipline.
3. Aeration and oxygen sizing
Rule of thumb: 1 HP paddlewheel per 400–500 kg of standing biomass in semi-intensive systems. Intensive biofloc requires diffused aeration + emergency LOX backup. Undersized aeration is the single most common design failure in intensive shrimp — insist on N+1 redundancy for oxygen and power.
4. Post-larvae (PL) supply chain
PL logistics kill or make a farm. Contract two independent SPF/SPR hatcheries in different countries. Model 5–10% transport mortality. Require certificate of analysis per batch. Do not accept 'first available' PL for a $10M+ farm — write PL specifications into the operational manual.
5. Feed and FCR realism
Semi-intensive achievable eFCR is 1.4–1.6. Intensive biofloc 1.2–1.4. Indoor RAS 1.1–1.3 with careful feeding. Feed is 50–65% of OPEX — sourcing from two qualified feed mills is not optional at commercial scale.
6. Processing and cold chain
Shrimp is worth 2–4× more headed-and-peeled than whole. Include a right-sized processing line in the CAPEX from day one, or contract a co-packer with binding capacity. Cold chain from pond-side to port must be modeled and priced.
7. Tender split for shrimp
Typical procurement split: (i) civil & pond works, (ii) aeration & oxygen, (iii) intake/discharge & water treatment, (iv) hatchery/PL contract, (v) feed contracts, (vi) processing. Bundle only what shares supplier competence.
Red flags to stop a tender
- Single PL supplier with no backup contract
- Aeration sized on 'average' rather than peak biomass
- No emergency oxygen or standby power
- Farm design copied from a different climate zone
- Biosecurity treated as an operational SOP instead of a site design driver
- FCR guarantees below 1.1 for pond systems
Size it before you tender
FAQ
Supplier-neutral by design
FishMatch Group is not a reseller. We do not represent any single supplier. Every tender we support runs on a no-names basis until the Owner selects a shortlist.