Local Rainbow Trout RAS Trial: On Tables by Year-End?

Singapore's first rainbow trout farm has started trial operations, with locally farmed trout potentially reaching tables by the end of this year.

Local aquaculture firm Blue Aqua held a launch ceremony on Thursday (June 4) at its Lim Chu Kang Liangzhu Harvest Lane trout farm and announced phased capacity expansion. Initial annual output is estimated at 1,200 tonnes, with potential to increase to 3,000 tonnes.

The 1.6-hectare land-based farm cost approximately S$45 million. As rainbow trout are cold-water fish with strict requirements for water temperature, quality, and environment, the operator uses an advanced Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) to precisely control temperature, water quality, and biosecurity in Singapore's tropical climate through a fully enclosed environment.

On the day of the visit, the farm's infrastructure was largely complete, though the tanks had not yet been filled with water. Blue Aqua founder Farshad Shishehchian revealed that the company has prepared fish eggs, which will take about 8 to 10 months to grow into 500g adult fish.

He told Lianhe Zaobao that the company aims to start producing rainbow trout by the end of this year to test market response; the first batch of locally bred trout is expected to weigh between 350g and 400g.

Regarding initial output, Farshad admitted it is still difficult to predict accurately. "We need a lot of adjustment and optimization. The results could be much better or worse than expected; essentially it's a process of constant calibration and improvement."

Founded in 2009, Blue Aqua also operates a shrimp farm in the same area with an annual output of about 120 tonnes. Farshad noted that trout and shrimp are different species with different challenges and advantages. Although initial capital investment for trout farming is higher, the highly automated system combined with AI management makes overall operations easier to manage precisely.

Regarding future annual output increases, Farshad stressed that this is not an ordinary automated farm but a fully controlled aquaculture system. "Our data is very precise because all planning is calculated and designed based on actual capacity."

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

Number of Local Farms Declines for Fifth Consecutive Year

Overall, local farm operating conditions remain tough, with the number of farms declining for five straight years. Official data shows that offshore fish farms have shrunk from 109 in 2022 to 67 last year; land-based farms have been relatively stable, with 34 as of 2024.

Blue Ocean Aquaculture Technology, which also operates land-based indoor farms, 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.

Farshad admitted that the company has experienced many failures and lessons, so it will learn from experience to avoid repeating them. "We don't want another failure case." He said the company has carefully calculated cost efficiency and is confident that local rainbow trout can be priced lower than imported ones, improving market competitiveness.