Local Rainbow Trout RAS Recirculating Aquaculture Farm Trial Operation, Expected to Supply Market by Year-End

Singapore's first rainbow trout farm has started trial operation, and locally farmed rainbow trout is expected to be on dining tables by the end of this year.

Local aquaculture operator Blue Aqua held a launch ceremony on Thursday (June 4) at its rainbow trout farm at Liang Joo Harvest Lane in Lim Chu Kang, announcing a phased capacity expansion. The farm's initial annual output is estimated at 1,200 metric tons, with potential to increase to 3,000 metric tons.

This 1.6-hectare land-based farm cost approximately $45 million. Rainbow trout are cold-water fish with strict requirements for water temperature, quality, and growth environment. The operator uses advanced Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) technology, employing fully enclosed environmental control to precisely regulate temperature, water quality, and biosecurity conditions in Singapore's tropical climate.

During a site visit, the infrastructure was largely completed, but the grow-out tanks had not yet been filled with water. Blue Aqua founder Farshad Shishehchian revealed the company has prepared fish eggs and expects to cultivate fry to harvestable fish weighing about 500 grams in approximately 8 to 10 months.

Mr. Farshad said the company aims to start producing rainbow trout by the end of this year to test market reaction. The first batch of domestically farmed rainbow trout is expected to weigh between 350 and 400 grams.

As for the initial output volume, Mr. Farshad admitted it is still difficult to predict accurately. "We need a lot of debugging and optimization. The results could far exceed expectations or fall short—essentially it's a continuous process of calibration and refinement."

Founded in 2009, Blue Aqua currently operates a shrimp farm in the same area with an annual output of about 120 metric tons. Mr. Farshad noted that rainbow trout and shrimp are different species, each with their own farming challenges and advantages. Although rainbow trout farming requires higher upfront capital investment, the highly automated system combined with AI management technology makes overall operations easier to manage precisely.

Regarding the gradual increase in annual production capacity at the trout farm, Mr. Farshad emphasized that this is not a typical automated farm but a fully controlled farming system. "Our data is very precise because all planning is calculated and designed based on actual production capacity."

According to data released by the Singapore Food Agency in May this year, local farms produced a total of 3,800 metric tons of seafood last year, up 8.6% from 3,500 metric tons the previous year, but only accounting for about 2.7% of the national seafood supply. Seafood imports increased from 124,600 metric tons to 138,000 metric tons, highlighting the country's heavy reliance on imported food.

Number of Local Farms Declines for Five Consecutive Years

Overall, the operating environment for local farms continues to be difficult, with the number of farms declining for five consecutive years. Official data shows that the number of sea-based farms has been shrinking since 2022, from 109 to 67 last year; land-based farms have remained relatively stable, with 34 as of 2024.

Blue Ocean Aquaculture Technology also operates land-based indoor farms. Managing Director Huang Yisheng previously told Lianhe Zaobao that indoor farm operating costs are inherently high, and if they cannot achieve break-even over the long term, they will eventually be eliminated by the market.

Mr. Farshad said the company has experienced many failures and lessons, and will learn from them to avoid repeating mistakes. "We don't want another failure case." He said the company has carefully calculated cost-effectiveness and is confident that the local rainbow trout price will be lower than imports, enhancing market competitiveness.