Commercial Aquaculture Definition
What is a Shrimp Farm?
A shrimp farm is a commercial facility that grows shrimp — primarily Litopenaeus vannamei (whiteleg) or Penaeus monodon (black tiger) — from post-larvae to harvest, in earthen ponds, lined ponds, biofloc systems or indoor RAS.
Also known as: Shrimp aquaculture facility · Prawn farm · Vannamei farm
Typical CAPEX
USD 500K – 30M+
Main species
L. vannamei, P. monodon
Systems
Extensive, Semi-intensive, Intensive, Biofloc, RAS
Cycle
90 – 130 days per crop
Definition
Commercial shrimp farms are structured around post-larvae supply, grow-out ponds, water management, aeration and harvest logistics. Yields range from 1 t/ha/year in extensive ponds to over 200 t/ha/year in intensive lined or RAS systems.
Planning steps
- Site assessment: soil, salinity, water source
- Hatchery and post-larvae supply plan
- Pond design and lining strategy
- Aeration and water exchange plan
- Biosecurity, WSSV and EMS controls
- Processing, cold chain and off-take
Technical considerations
- Post-larvae stocking density (PL/m²)
- Aeration (HP/ha) and dissolved oxygen management
- Water quality: salinity, alkalinity, ammonia
- Feeding trays and automatic feeders
- Harvest and post-harvest chilling
Commercial terminology
- USD per kg farm-gate
- Yield (t/ha/crop) and cycles/year
- Feed cost and FCR (typically 1.3 – 1.8)
- Post-larvae cost per animal
- Processing and freight to destination market
Frequently asked questions
Related
FishMatch Group · part of GlobalB2BGroup