A dramatic transformation has taken shape in the coastal area of South Sharqiyah, a project that entrepreneurs believe will create several business opportunities for SMEs focused on allied industries.
A series of photos has recently been shared showcasing this massive project and covering a huge area, the potential for the development of value-added shrimp products has exponentially risen.
The commercial shrimp farming project in Quroon area, Wilayat of Jalan Bani Bu Hassan in Sharqiyah South, is considered one of the most important pioneering projects of Fisheries Development Oman (FDO) in the aquaculture sector in the Sultanate of Oman. The project was established according to the highest international standards as it provides training opportunities for specialists in the field of aquaculture in the country.
The Company announced this month the start of the first commercial harvest for the shrimp farming project in Quroon.
The total cost of the project amounted to 20 million Omani riyals on an area of 500 hectares. The project’s production is expected to reach an average of 400 tons per month according to the following sizes and proportions: 31-40 grams at 45%, 41-50 grams at 50%, and 51-60 grams at 5 percent %. While the production capacity of this project, when it is fully operational, is expected to reach 4,800 tons per year by 2023.
The project provides support to entrepreneurs and investors interested in this sector, contributes to diversifying non-oil revenue sources and creates direct and indirect job opportunities for Omani youth in line with the objectives of the "Oman 2040" vision. It focuses on the cultivation of whiteleg shrimp using specific pathogen-free cultures imported from the United States of America. All production operations of the project are carried out in a clean and biologically safe environment without relying on any drugs, antibiotics or any chemicals that may affect public health.
After shrimps quantities reach the commercial size, they are is mechanically harvested and freeze-dried to maintain their freshness and then delivered to the primary processing plant within 30 minutes. They will be then cleaned with cooled fresh water and automatically sorted and classified according to size. Shrimp is distributed to factories upon request.
Construction works in this project, which is the company’s first investment in the field of shrimp farming, began in November 2018, after which the trial operation of the project was launched in November 2021. The project was built along the coast of the Arabian Sea in the Quroon area.
According to the Ministry of Agricultural and Fisheries Wealth and Water Resources, there are 8 shrimp farming projects in the Sultanate of Oman and 7 projects for water recycling system farming for species such as salmon, Omani abalone and some fin fish. There are five projects for aquaculture using floating cages for tuna and tuna fattening.
The shrimp farm project includes:
A maturation unit for egg production with capacity of 1.2 billion eggs per year.
A post-larval production unit, with a capacity of 400 million juveniles per year.
A nursery unit, with a capacity of 250 million juvenile shrimps per year.
220 grow-out ponds.
A facility for pre-processing and packing shrimp.
Administrative offices and laboratory.
Maintenance workshops.
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