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
  1. Site assessment: soil, salinity, water source
  2. Hatchery and post-larvae supply plan
  3. Pond design and lining strategy
  4. Aeration and water exchange plan
  5. Biosecurity, WSSV and EMS controls
  6. 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 Global B2B Group

Plan, source and compare your project

Short answer

What do buyers need to know about Shrimp Farm?

Shrimp Farm affects both project cost and project risk, so it belongs in the specification stage rather than the purchasing stage. This page sets out what commercial buyers assess, what typically drives cost and lead time, and which questions to put to suppliers before signing. You can turn any of it into a confidential RFQ in a few minutes.

Who it is for:
Investors, operators and project developers specifying commercial systems
Cost drivers:
Capacity, water source, energy price, permitting and logistics
Next step:
Turn the requirement into a confidential RFQ
Cost to buyers:
No fee charged to the buyer
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