As the costs of conventional agriculture continue to rise many Midwestern farmers are asking, “Can aquaculture provide an additional or alternative source of farm income?” However, Midwestern farms, in particular Missouri farms, lack the warm climate (degree-days) needed to compete with pond aquaculture production prices. Furthermore, indoor recirculating aquaculture production costs cannot compete directly with commodity seafood prices. In most cases Midwestern farmers will need to produce in intensive or super-intensive, climate-controlled, zero-discharge, recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). To be profitable, it is imperative to reduce capital and operating costs to a minimum. In an effort to define the most cost-effective indoor RAS, a series of commercial and self-constructed prototype aquaculture raceway systems were installed and evaluated at a private farm in Missouri. Tank construction materials included HDPE liners, polypropylene sheets, and PVC sheets within plywood containment, as opposed to, commercially available, self-supporting glass-coated steel-sheet systems and self-supporting concrete-filled prefabricated PVC forms. Advantages and disadvantages of the various systems are compared, as well as, construction and operational costs.
RAS production costs ranges between 200-600% over pond production cost and commodity fish and shellfish prices. However, RAS costs are 45-65% of typical retail seafood prices. Opportunity in aquaculture exists for Missouri farmers, however, growers will likely need to seek direct sales to consumers capturing profit margin of wholesale/retail chain. Growers will need to bear the holding, processing, advertising, transportation, packaging, time/labor costs needed to market and sell product. Potential aquaculture producers are advised to begin small and focus on markets before addressing technology and investment issues. Issues that should be addressed include, 1) Which marketable species? 2) What product to provide, whole or processed? 3) How much to charge? 4) How to promote/advertise and? 5) Where to sell?