Government of Jamaica
Aquaculture, Report
- Date: 3 December 2020
- Client: Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries
- Category: Aquaculture, Report
- Address: 6 Hope Gardens, Kingston
Design specifications of farm and Operational plan
This report on resilient fish farm design describes the preliminary design and several engineering considerations for the development of a technically and economically feasible aquaculture system (RAS) for the tilapia culture in Jamaica. The aim is to formulate a sustainable farm concept that can be technically and financially verified against actual farm conditions in Jamaica. The farming principle which has been selected is intensive recirculation in order to minimise the interaction with the environment (footprint < 5%, and water saving > 90%) and to reduce the potential impact of changing climate factors (droughts, rains, winds, predators).
The total farm system contains 8 circular tanks to secure year round supply (weekly harvest). It has been designed to handle a daily amount of 200 kg of feed per day. The farm has been estimated to have an annual production capacity of ± 50 ton of fresh red tilapia or ± 70 ton of silver tilapia. Its design covers the biological and technical aspects of the intensive tilapia culture and has specific characteristics which make the set-up unique. The biofilter is placed in the centre of the fish tank which prevents a lot of pumping energy and investments in piping. The system is self-supporting in terms of heat. The structure generates and captures enough heat to maintain a 25-26°C temperature. Oxygenation of water is purely done by aeration which creates a secure environment for up to 60 kg of tilapia per m3.
The operation expenses to produce tilapia from 50 g to market size (350 g) in Jamaica are estimated to be around JMD 562/kg in the RAS system in accordance with the proposed plans, recommendations and technology described in this report. The farm hardware would require 41.3 million JMD and the required working capital 9.6 million JMD. Based on the business plan with a sales price of 770 JMD/kg or 350 JMD/Lb a profit margin of 17 % can be seen and a Return on Investment would be in the range of 2 years.
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