Rainbow Trout Land-Based Farming Trial Operation: Local Table Supply by Year-End

Singapore's first rainbow trout farm has started trial operation, with local farmed rainbow trout expected to reach dining tables by year-end.

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

The 1.6-hectare land-based farm cost about S$45 million. Since rainbow trout are cold-water fish with strict requirements for water temperature, quality, and growth environment, the firm uses an advanced recirculating aquaculture system (RAS), employing fully enclosed environmental control technology to precisely regulate temperature, water quality, and biosecurity conditions in Singapore's tropical climate.

According to reporters on site, the farm's infrastructure is largely complete, but the tanks have 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 adult fish weighing approximately 500 grams.

He said the company hopes to start producing rainbow trout by the end of this year to test market response; the first batch of local rainbow trout is expected to weigh between 350 and 400 grams.

As for the initial yield, Farshad admitted it is still difficult to predict accurately. "We need a lot of adjustments and optimization. The results could far exceed expectations or fall short — 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 metric tons. Farshad noted that rainbow trout and shrimp are different species, each with distinct cultivation challenges and advantages. Although the initial capital investment for rainbow trout farming is higher, the system is highly automated and integrated with AI management technology, making overall operations easier to manage precisely.

Regarding the farm's gradual increase in annual production, Farshad emphasized that this is not a typical automated farm but a fully controlled cultivation 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 3,800 metric tons of seafood last year, up 8.6% from 3,500 metric tons the previous year, but accounting for only about 2.7% of national seafood supply. Meanwhile, seafood imports rose from 124,600 metric tons to 138,000 metric tons, highlighting the country's high dependence on food imports.

Number of local farms declining for five consecutive years

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

Blue Ocean Aquaculture Technology also operates a land-based indoor farm. Managing director Wong Yee Sang previously said that the operating costs of indoor farms are relatively high, and if they cannot break even in the long run, they may eventually be eliminated by the market.

Farshad admitted that the company has experienced many failures and lessons, so it will learn from experiences to avoid repeating mistakes. "We don't want another failure story," he said. He added that the company has carefully calculated cost-effectiveness and is confident that the price of local rainbow trout will be lower than imported ones, enhancing market competitiveness.