Freshwater Shrimp Farming – How to Start Your Own Shrimp Farm


The production of freshwater shrimp is best suited for warmer climates and is highly lucrative. Farmed shrimps have steady increased in volume accounting for several million tons harvested worldwide.
The major producers of this delicacy are China, Thailand, Mexico and Asia. The business is done either large scale or small scale. The pond water quality greatly impacts on the quality of the shrimp.
Harvesting is done through net harvesting and external harvesting. The customer base, location and market dictate the price of the product.
 The giant Malaysian prawn native to Malaysia is a popular delicacy in top restaurants.
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Starting the Enterprise
You need proper permits to operate a freshwater shrimp farm. Register your farm name and company information including tax. Find out if you need an agricultural permit and a commercial license.
Funding
The business is either home based or on a commercial property. The size of your farm dictates the amount of money you need. For a newbie’s we advice you start small and get acquainted to the creature.
The major investment is building the shrimp pond.  You can seek soft loans from micro finance banks or through personal savings.
If the operation is large, write a business plan and present it to agricultural bank.
The Pond
The quality of the fresh water should be high to sustain shrimp life.  The pond can be a dugout pond, block, plastic pond or concrete pond. The only determining factor is the depth of the pond.
Shrimps go through the juvenile stage to adulthood before cultivation. They feed on alga or insect larva but new ponds lack this basic requirement making culture slightly challenging.
You can purchase your stock from commercial hatchery farms in your country. This might be challenging in certain African countries because shrimp farming is still new.
The pond design is similar to those used for catfish farming. First select a large site and excavate the soil before putting a liner.
Aerate the pond and incorporate a good flow system. Fill your newly constructed pond with fresh clean water. If you have a natural freshwater river integrate a cage pond into the flowing steam.
The land you choose to excavate should be devoid of harmful agents or primal flooding. Any harmful agent like fertilizer, pesticides should be avoided at all cost.
If you are not using a pond liner check the soils PH level.
Equipment
The major equipment you need is the shrimp pond. Other equipment is a generating set, aerator machine, net and fish feed.
Buy your Stock
Buy your juvenile shrimps from hatcheries in your area. They don’t cost much and are easily affordable. The difficultly is transporting them to their new pond without losing stock.
Before transferring the shrimp make sure the pond is devoid of any contaminants. Place the transported shrimp’s bag into the pond water to acclimatize them.
Stocking 10,000 – 15,000 shrimps per acre would produce a high density yield. However you should note that less density equates to larger healthier shrimp.
Make sure there is no marine life form such as fish in your pond. If they are present they will eat the shrimp and cause terrible damage.
Feeding
Feeding the shrimp algae is slightly challenging. The small juvenile forage the pond for food such as insect larva and plankton.
They will also eat pelted catfish feed among other food types.
Marketing
Your major markets are top restaurants or hotels. You can get a contractual agreement with your local fish store or sell to neighbors.
If your production is large find out about exporting the product. Exporting shrimp is challenging and different counties have rules that guide this commerce.
Another very effective method is opening your own sales outlet. This idea is very profitable and you make lots of money.
Conclusion
Shrimp farming is a lucrative venture but has its risks. Learn as much as you can before venturing into the business. Start small and expand your operation when you gain valuable experience.
Go to the chambers of commerce in your area for more information about the business.


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