Breeding fish at home is a very serious income! Business from scratch: fish farming

Building a business in the food industry is almost a win-win undertaking at all times. Food products are needed every day, the demand for them is constant and high. You should decide on the direction based on the market load with a particular product and your personal preferences.

The vast majority of entrepreneurs are usually men. Many of them are attracted to hobbies such as hunting or fishing. It will be doubly interesting for such a representative of the stronger sex to transform his hobby into a profitable business, for example, fish farming.

Market analysis

The supply in the sales markets is quite limited. Fresh fish is a perishable product; it can be found in large supermarkets or from individual sellers.

To preserve its beneficial properties and presentation, it must be sold quickly, within one day. Considering these factors, many entrepreneurs refuse such a business for fear of going broke.

It is worth noting that the demand for this product is much higher than the supply. Rich in proteins, microelements and nutrients, it is always a welcome guest in the human diet.

Registration and organization of business

To conduct business legally, you must register as an individual enterprise. This procedure is quick, takes several days and requires a minimum package of documents (application, copy of passport and receipt of payment of state duty).

In the application of the established form, you must indicate OKPD code 2.

In this case, it will be like this: “Fish and other products of fisheries and fish farming.”

Required Documentation

Legalization and registration of permits can last from several months to a year. After registering an enterprise, a thorough analysis of the water should be carried out and a scientific and biological justification should be obtained confirming the suitability of the reservoir for launching and growing fish seeding material.

If you want to rent a natural reservoir for your own purposes, you need to submit an application to local authorities, obtain their permission and draw up an agreement.

The absence of certain documents entails administrative penalties and fines.

Finding a suitable body of water

Reservoirs for breeding are divided into three types:

Open ponds and lakes.
Cage fish farms.
Closed reservoirs.

The first option is characterized by low profitability (12-15%), the second is much more promising in this regard, but the most profitable is fish farming in closed reservoirs. This makes it possible to keep fish in favorable conditions all year round, whereas in open ponds only grown fry (150-200 grams) can be raised.

Regardless of the type chosen, the water for keeping animals in it must be clean and free of harmful substances or sewage contaminants. The depth and temperature can vary depending on the breed, so for breeding carp you need at least 1.5 meters, and for trout - 15 meters and, accordingly, 16-19⁰С and 24-25⁰С.

The area occupied by the pond is preferably 5 hectares or more.

Otherwise, the work will be ineffective. If there is no reservoir suitable for certain criteria, you can always organize your own.

Breeding in the pool

Using a pool for these purposes has a number of advantages compared to an open reservoir, although it requires large financial investments.

These features include:

continuity of the process, thanks to the creation of appropriate conditions for spawning and growth of fry;
high controllability – control of temperature, flow, hydrochemical regime and other factors.

When choosing a material for a pool, you should give preference to plastic products.

They are easy to use and install, do not suffer from corrosion and other unpleasant consequences due to constant contact with water, and are affordable.

The shape of an artificial reservoir of this type can be of various configurations (classic rectangular, oval, polygonal, etc.). The surface of the pool should be as smooth as possible to prevent the proliferation of pathological microorganisms and to easily clean the walls with a powerful jet of water.

Products made of plastic and fiberglass are highly durable. If necessary, additional stiffeners, frame elements, and so on can be provided. Transporting, moving, maintaining and disinfecting such pools is simple and convenient.

The area of the pool and the room where it will be located directly depends on the type and number of individuals that are planned to be raised.

For example, on 25 m2 you can grow about 5 tons of carp. The room must be heated, have access to water supply, electricity and ventilation.

Equipment

To equip a small fish farm, specializing, for example, in carp breeding, it is necessary:

A rectangular pool with an area of 15-200,000 m3 and a depth of at least 1 m.
Cranes.
Aeration system.
Filtration stations.
Ultraviolet sterilizers.

The stocking rate for fry weighing 50 grams is 300 individuals per 1 m 3 with the yield of live specimens being 90%.

The fry are fed with granulated feed. With proper organization of care and nutrition, in 9 months you can grow an individual weighing 500-600 grams from eggs.

Business Features

Fish farming is not the easiest type of business activity. When investing, you need to clearly understand what kind of fish to fish and how to sell it.

This or that breed requires special care and maintenance.

A beginner in fishing issues is unlikely to be able to figure it all out.

maintaining optimal conditions for breeding - for rapid growth, reproduction and prevention of various diseases;
proper nutrition - even within the same species, individuals of different ages need food of excellent composition.

Financial component of business

Like any other business activity, growing fish requires certain financial investments. Cost items will include registration and organization of the enterprise, purchase of equipment, young animals for breeding, feed, and so on.

Cost of opening and maintaining

The initial investment may vary depending on many factors:

The expenses of such a business are:

purchase of fry - 10,000 rubles;
salary to employees – 30,000 rubles;
feed – 7,000 rubles;
associated expenses (utility payments, maintenance and repair of equipment, special means for caring for the reservoir, etc.) – 20,000 rubles;

Total: 67,000 rubles.

Purchasing equipment, arranging a pool and renting premises will increase this amount to 150-200,000 rubles.

Amount of future income

The sale of adult carp will bring an income of about 100,000 rubles, minus taxes and other costs, the net profit will be about 35,000 rubles. The next period will be more profitable, due to the fact that there will be no need to purchase young individuals.

You can increase the profit from owning such a farm by introducing new services

For example, paid fishing, organization of a small recreation center for amateur fishermen, and so on.

Payback period

One of the disadvantages of such a business is the long payback period due to the fish farming cycle. Carp grows to a marketable state in three years, trout in two and a half, and so on. All this time you should care for the individuals, feed them, invest money and not receive any income.

After the sale of the first adult offspring, the level of profitability will increase significantly, up to 50%.

The fish farming business is primarily for people interested in this craft. It is required to organize the process, invest money, and care for the young animals for several years in order to make a profit in the future.

How much can you earn
Which equipment to choose
- - - Similar business ideas:

Today in Russia there are a large number of unclaimed reservoirs, from which one can turn into a real fish farm. Fish farming is perhaps one of the few areas of agriculture that is least exposed to the risk of adverse weather conditions. Thanks to this, the profitability of carp breeding remains at 20%.

The most difficult thing in organizing such a business is the administrative barriers. Getting a pond for rent turns out to be not so easy. It is necessary to go through a series of approvals, paperwork and competitive bidding for the right to rent a specific body of water. It is necessary to contact the local administration regarding the rental of a water body.

It is important to know that not every body of water can be rented. The restriction by law is imposed, first of all, on reservoirs with the status of a natural monument. It is also difficult to rent ponds that are located near dacha areas and cities, since complaints from the population against the tenant will come immediately.

When choosing a reservoir for fish farming, you should pay attention to its area, depth and type of bottom. Thus, the optimal size is considered to be a pond (lake) with an area of 20 to 100 hectares. This will allow carp to be bred and paid fishing services provided. If the reservoir is smaller, then it will not be possible to grow large volumes of marketable fish, much less serve fishermen.

If renting a pond serves exclusively for paid fishing services, then the distance to the nearest large cities is important. Large settlements and cities should be located within a radius of no more than 50 km. In this case, it is important to take care of the availability of good access roads to the reservoir.

The carp pond must be equipped with a drainage system. For this purpose, a special outpost or gateway is built, which serves to lock the water in the inlet ditch and control the depth level in the pond. A sluice is necessary not only for the ebb of water, but also for catching marketable fish. Many collective farm fish ponds are built using this principle.

The depth of the reservoir should be at least 1.5 m, otherwise the fish will not survive the winter. The bottom of the reservoir should be muddy and soft. The optimal temperature for the growth and reproduction of carp is from 14 to 24 degrees. Carp feed only in the warm season, and in winter they hibernate and do not eat anything.

It is impossible not to say something about the methods of feeding carp. There are two main methods of growing carp - extensive and intensive. With the extensive method of cultivation, carp feeds only on natural food that is available in the reservoir. This method can only be used in large reservoirs. The growth and development of carp directly depends on the natural food supply. The main advantage of this method is the low cost of carp maintenance (or rather, its complete absence). The main disadvantage is the low growth rate of fish.

The intensive method of growing cyprinids involves creating a system for feeding fish with a rich food supply. With this method, fish are fed at least 2 times a day. As a rule, planting material is purchased in early spring, and fish are caught in the fall. Thanks to repeated feeding and maintaining high density, it is possible to obtain up to 6 t/ha of marketable carp. The disadvantage of this method is high feed costs. But they are more than compensated by the speed of fish growth and the rapid turnover of invested funds.

Stocking of cyprinids should be done at the rate of 250 kg of fish per 1 hectare of pond area. The fish grows very quickly. And in general, carp is considered one of the most unpretentious, which cannot be said about trout or sturgeon. For example, 10 tons of carp in three years will turn into 100 tons - the weight will increase 10 times! Carp is also distinguished by its fertility. One fish can produce from 200 to 300 thousand eggs, which will produce tens of thousands of individuals.

After stocking with carp, a small part of predatory fish - pike or pike perch - should be released into the reservoir. This is done in order to knock out trash fish from the reservoir, such as bleak, ruff and top fin. You need to be careful and not allow many predators in, otherwise they will eat the fry of cyprinids. Therefore, it is recommended to stock carp fry from 1 year of age. The predator eats them much less. In this case, the survival rate of the fry will be at least 80%.

According to experts, the amount of investment in a business depends on the size of the reservoir and the ambitions of the businessman. Thus, a fishery with a reservoir area of 100 hectares will cost about $80 thousand. The main costs include construction work (creating the topography of the reservoir, building locks, etc.) and purchasing fry. The cost of carp fry, weighing 100-150 grams, starts from 70 rubles/kg. In order to stock a reservoir with an area of 100 hectares, it will take about 1.5 million rubles to purchase fry.

The cost of growing fish using an intensive method is 40 rubles/kg. And the wholesale selling price is about 60 rubles/kg. A businessman’s profit increases significantly if the fish is sold alive - in special vehicles that transport live carp to retail outlets. In this case, the selling price of fish is at least 90-100 rubles/kg. Marginal income per kilogram is 50-60 rubles.

From each hectare you can get up to 1.5-2 tons of marketable fish. Income from a reservoir with an area of 100 hectares, minus wages and taxes, can reach 4-5 million rubles per year.

In addition to selling fish, paid fishing services can provide additional income. The cost of such pleasure in the Moscow region starts from 500 rubles per person. And in “elite” ponds stocked with sturgeon, trout, carp and silver carp, the cost of a ticket is at least 1,500 rubles per person. In order for fishermen to know when to stop, a limit on fish catch is set. For example, over 5 kg of catch, each subsequent kilogram will be paid, depending on the type of fish. If the caught fish is smaller than the established size (25 cm), it is released back into the lake.

Fishing areas should be equipped so that the distance between fishermen is at least 50 m. Interest in fishing in this case will be much higher. If investments allow, then a good solution would be to build summer houses for vacationers, a store, a kitchen, a fishing house, and a toilet. The fisherman's store sells fishing gear, bait and feed. All of this is in great demand. The presence of a summer kitchen with a chef allows you to accept orders from those who want to taste their own catch.

If you also build a beach, then fishermen will come with whole families, which will only increase the income of the entrepreneur. However, you need to make sure that the rest does not interfere with the main process of fishing. Therefore, the beach should be located at a respectful distance from fishing grounds - at least 100m.

The construction of such infrastructure works well not only near large cities and megalopolises. Residents of the periphery and small settlements are also willing to pay for such a service. There are still not enough picturesque and well-groomed places in our country, and the demand for active recreation is growing every year.

Step-by-step opening plan, where to start

To open your own carp fishery, you need to pay special attention to the place where the fish are raised. A small reservoir or pond is suitable for carp. It is advisable to first monitor and analyze the activities of competitors and establish connections with sales points. You cannot do without a clearly verified business project, taking into account preliminary costs and expected profits. The profitability of the business in the first stages will depend on this. Having improved the reservoir and the surrounding area, you can begin purchasing the necessary equipment, fry and food for them.

How much can you earn

Before we get to the profit, let's look at the costs. If you grow carp in a natural reservoir, then the main expenses are associated with the purchase of food, about 20 rubles per 1 kg. For a small fish farm, this will cost up to 5,000 rubles per month. Purchase of fry: 100 pieces = 400 rubles. This should include the costs of equipment, transportation costs, insurance premiums, etc. To reach marketable weight, carp need 2-3 years. Thus, there is no need to expect quick profits. You can sell fish at a price of 80-100 rubles per kg. An additional income channel is provided by paid fishing, along with the rental of fishing rods/boats, paid parking and other equipment. The profitability of the business, taking into account a well-established sales market, is at the level of 10%. The profit received can be used not only to expand the business, but also to acquire profitable assets. There are many possibilities for this, for example, investments in apartment buildings. This is a time-tested method that works.

How much money do you need to start a business?

Start-up costs for such a business depend on the breeding method. If you create an artificial reservoir with a closed water supply device, you will need up to half a million rubles, and in some cases more. Breeding carp in natural reservoirs will significantly reduce this figure, approximately 10-20 times.

Which equipment to choose

To effectively run a carp farming business, you will need to purchase fishing rods, boats, camping tents and other equipment for paid fishing.

Which OKVED code to indicate when registering a business?

To register a business, you must indicate OKVED Code 03.2 - Fish farming.

What documents are needed to open

A novice businessman will need to register an individual entrepreneur or LLC, which will require a passport, a copy of the ID code and a receipt for payment of the state duty. It is worth paying attention to the grants existing in Russia from the Ministry of Agriculture. When registered, there is a chance to receive significant start-up capital or half of the funds invested in the business.

Which taxation system to choose for business registration

For doing business, the best option would be to tax a peasant farm with a loss of 6% of profit.

Do I need permission to open?

To stock a reservoir with fish, it is mandatory to obtain a special veterinary certificate, which is issued by the epidemiological committee. Moreover, renting a territory from the state will require several additional papers related to maintaining cleanliness and environmental safety. Are you thinking about making quick money or dreaming of owning your own home? Does your mortgage seem unaffordable? Find out about the mistakes of the mortgage recipient and how how to do it right. Don’t lose your nerves and money by giving the bank more than 10 years.

Do you love and have the opportunity to care for living beings, and would you like to make your own farm a source of permanent income? Then, most likely, our business plan for breeding fish in a pond was written just for you. We will tell you where to start the enterprise, how much money you will need to invest at first, and how advisable it is to start trading fish in principle.

Selecting a view

Before taking drastic measures, you should decide what kind of fish you will breed. Two types of fish are in greatest demand in the modern market - and the latter type is several times more difficult and expensive to grow, but such farming promises more profit: for example, in 2014, a kilogram of carp cost 50-63 rubles, and trout - 140 rubles.

Carp breeding

The advantages of a business plan based only on carp farming are obvious. Firstly, this fish is unpretentious, and secondly, almost any body of water is not suitable for it; Finally, it is very easy to learn how to handle this species - you just need to read the comprehensive manual. And carp reproduces rapidly: in suitable conditions, the annual growth of fish is at least 500%.

To purchase a sufficient number of carp, at the beginning of the business you will have to invest about 5,300,000 rubles. Yes, this is far from the most affordable business, but to open a trout farming business you will need at least 33,000,000 rubles.

Trout farming

Unlike the previous option, a business plan for trout farming as an entrepreneurial endeavor involves much more spending - and not only on the fish themselves.

Firstly, specialized food costs a lot of money: about 80 rubles per kilogram. Such nutritional mixtures are produced in Germany, and in Russia they are produced and sold in Sergiev Posad. And it is not possible to replace this food with a cheaper one if you do not want to get fish with white rather than pinkish or red meat.

Secondly, at first you will have to spend some money on consultations with an experienced fish farmer. To breed trout, it is not enough to read books; you need experience and special education is indispensable. If you decide to take the matter seriously, you can even organize a business trip to the southern Czech Republic - there are fish farming schools of the highest level there.

Other options

Some entrepreneurs grow other types of fish besides carp and trout. The following are also considered very promising:

White amur;
silver carp;
zander;
pike;
crucian carp

In turn, many of the above species of fish are also represented by separate breeds: for example, silver carp are white, motley and hybrid.

Breeding conditions

Naturally, you will need a suitable reservoir to breed fish. It’s not even worth mentioning that growing carp, trout and others is only possible in clean water, where no waste or harmful substances flow from nearby factories and workshops.

In general, reservoirs for fish breeding are divided into three types:

open ponds and lakes;
cage fish farms;
closed reservoirs.

The first type promises the entrepreneur the lowest income - the profitability of such a business will not exceed 12–15%. Business plans for RAS (recirculated water supply installations) are somewhat more promising, but the most profitable undertaking is growing fish in a closed reservoir, as this will allow you to work even in the cold season and hatch fish, including from eggs.

As for open reservoirs, only fry can be raised there, and they are already a little grown (150–200 grams): caviar and very tiny fish will not have time to develop - they will be discovered faster by predators.

One way or another, for your own business you need a pond with a depth of at least 1.5 meters (for carp breeding) and 15 meters (for trout); The temperature of 16–19 °C is suitable for the first type of fish, 24–25 °C for the second.

It is irrational to work with a pond that occupies less than 5 hectares. If you have a similar reservoir in your suburban area or nearby, you are very lucky. But even if there is no suitable pond or lake nearby, this is not a problem - after all, if you wish, you can organize your own pond.

Creating a new pond

Work to create a reservoir near your site will cost approximately 350–500,000 rubles, but you can save if you find a buyer for the vacated soil. If you are working on loamy and sandy soil, arrange a pond with an artificial bottom, but you can simply “adjust” the nature a little - for example, deepen an already existing depression.

When choosing a place for a new pond, keep in mind that the water should be in direct sunlight in the morning - from sunrise to 11 am. This is necessary so that algae actively grows in the water, otherwise the fish may lack oxygen. And remember that the new lake will require constant care - if abandoned, it will quickly become shallow and then turn into a swamp.

Enterprise registration

Before opening an enterprise, you should take a set of measures that will legalize fish farming: it must include the costs of. You can entrust this work to employees of specialized companies, or you can go on a journey through the authorities yourself. In the second case, you will save money, but spend more effort and time.

If you are setting up a new pond, you need to get:

permission from the administration;
results of environmental assessment;
permission from the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

If you rent a pond, to legally operate you will need permission from the local government and the lease agreement itself. However, before you rent a pond, consider whether it is advisable.

Growing fish in artificial reservoirs or pools is a costly activity that requires professionalism and patience from the founder of the enterprise being created. The fish farming business plan proposed in this article is a source document that contains basic information and describes the cost directions for opening a fish farm. Familiarization with it will allow you to understand a number of nuances of running this business, find out what legislative acts it is based on, and get an idea of what modern industrial fish farming is and how it is organized. We will talk about the structure of a fishery, as well as what equipment needs to be purchased in order for the farm to be profitable.

Market analysis

One of the paradoxes of the modern development of fishing in Russia is that this industry has coped well with difficulties and is currently on the rise. This is all the more pleasant to realize considering that, according to analysts, the demand for fish and fish products in the world will only increase. To date, the increase in consumption has exceeded 7% per year (data relates only to fish grown in artificial reservoirs). The physical volume of fish grown in such conditions is close to 30%. Of these, about a third are in China. This country annually exports $15 billion worth of fish, which significantly exceeds its income from the sale of coffee, rice, bananas, tea, and meat.

From an economic point of view, an interesting fact is that 20-25% of the proceeds from the sale of fish go to enterprises that were financed by subsidies at the initial stage of development.

In Russia, starting in 2012, prices for live fish began to fall in almost all regions of the country. But even in such conditions, the profitability of this business did not fall below 8-9%. As statistics show, the rate of profit for middle-level entrepreneurs was even higher - 10-15%. In many respects, such profitability is due to the massive transition of fish farms to work under the Unified Agricultural Tax, which significantly reduces the costs of enterprise infrastructure and allows one to avoid paying property tax and VAT.

At the same time, there are still unresolved problems in the domestic fish farming market. Firstly, there are many difficulties with marketing the products. There are also problems of complex relationships with trade and catering organizations. The reason here is quite simple - retailers are not eager to deal with live fish, since significant costs are required to ensure the “maintenance” of such a product.

Today, the capacity of the country's fish market is almost impossible to accurately estimate. It can be calculated only on the basis of data on medical standards for consumption of this product. Now Russians consume 9 kg of fish products per year, while the recommended annual diet by doctors is 27 kg. Our main consumer of live fish is people with average incomes, which is only 15-20% of the population. For comparison, in Western countries this figure exceeds 50-70%, which is mainly due to the fact that the cost of live fish is 2-3 times lower due to insignificant transport costs for its delivery to the end consumer.

Level of average prices for fish in Russia (adopted as the basis for calculations in this business plan):

View	Weight, kg	Wholesale price (in rubles per 1 kg)		Retail price (in rubles per 1 kg)
View	Weight, kg	in view of VAT	without VAT	in view of VAT	without VAT
Carp	up to 1	41,30	35,00	50,00	41,00
Carp	1,0-1,5	55,00	50,00	60,00	54,55
Carp	1,5-2,0	65,00	59,09	70,00	63,64
Carp	more than 2.0	67,00	60,91	72,00	65,45
Silver carp	1.0-2.5/over 2.5	27,44/34,33	24,94/31,18	32,34/39,2	29,4/35,63
Amur	up to and above 2.0	63,70	57,91	68,60	62,37
Sturgeon	0,8-1,6	343,00	290,68	392,4	332,2
crucian carp	(small, medium)	9,80/14,70	8,91/13,37	14,17/19,60	13,37/17,82

In Russia, it is much more profitable to resell live fish rather than grow them. Thus, an additional advantage is created for the newly opened enterprise in the form of a niche for delivering fish to consumers. As calculations show, such activities can bring up to 30-35% increase in the profit of the enterprise.

Prospects for the development of the industry in Russia are associated with the rapid development of residential infrastructure, which, in turn, gives rise to new types of services, an increase in the number of stocked ponds, and an expansion of the range of commercial services provided by private fish farms. The country has 20 million hectares of lakes, 4.5 million hectares of artificial reservoirs, over 150 thousand hectares of ponds and more than 300 thousand square meters. m of cages, which produce approximately half of all fish production. For several years now, the state program “Increasing the efficiency of using the resource potential of the fishery complex” has been implemented at the federal level, which creates serious prerequisites for the long-term development of this industry in the future.

General concept of the project

Fish farming as a branch of economic activity is quite complex and costly. As a rule, people who have at least a general understanding of this business and the technologies used for growing fish begin to engage in it. That is why the greatest difficulties on the way to creating a highly profitable fish farm await those who first decided to start fish farming.

This business plan is aimed primarily at beginning entrepreneurs and includes information regarding the initial stage of the operation of the enterprise, from its opening to its establishment of stable operation.

Project Description

The fish farm being created solves a number of economic and social problems. The main ones are:

Formation of a new business entity.
Creation of new jobs.
Satisfying the population's needs for fish products.
Providing commercial fishing services.
Replenishment of the local budget through tax deductions.
Making profit.

It is preferable to place the farm not far from cities and highways.

The project is financed from funds allocated under the state support program for farmers, which determines the organizational and legal form of the enterprise - a peasant farm. At the initial stage of project implementation, the functions of the head of the enterprise will be performed by the founder himself.

The tax paid is Unified Agricultural Tax (Unified Agricultural Tax). The tax rate is 6% of the enterprise's profit.

Taking into account discounting, the project is designed for 2 years of implementation (until the date the company reaches the break-even point). This period corresponds to the estimated life cycle of the project.

Main stages:

Stage / month, decade	1			2			3
Stage / month, decade	1 Dec	2 Dec	3 Dec	1 Dec	2 Dec	3 Dec	1 Dec
Market research	+	+
Registration of an enterprise, licensing of activities		+	+
Purchasing a car	+
Signing contracts for feed supply and rental	+	+	+
Purchase of technological and auxiliary equipment, feed	+	+	+	+	+
Coordination with SES		+	+
Installation and testing of production and technological equipment		+	+	+	+	+
Selection of specialists		+	+	+	+	+
Conclusion of contracts with consumers: large retail establishments and public catering establishments					+	+	+
Starting a business							+

Calculations made in preparing the plan are based on Russian economic statistics for 2015-2016. They can be used as arguments for the founder’s proposals when negotiating with investors and other persons interested in creating a fish farm.

Description of the object

There are many effective ways to raise fish. The most preferable combination is:

Applications of feeders.
Creating high planting densities.
Use of high protein feeds.

The purchase of feed with a fat content of at least 5-7% and protein of at least 26-28% is one of the most consumable items in fish farming. Their costs can account for up to half of the total expenses of an enterprise.

The created fishery will be engaged in fish breeding for the purpose of its subsequent sale to end consumers: department stores and specialized stores, fish processing enterprises, and large wholesale warehouses. In addition, fishing services will be provided with rental of fishing rods and gear. In the future, it is planned to create infrastructure for mass recreation of the population.

The company will be engaged in the cultivation of fry for stocking ponds and its sale to interested parties with delivery by its own transport.

The plan for creating a fish farming enterprise includes the following activities:

Selection of reservoirs and their improvement (in accordance with the use agreement).
Selecting the types of fish that will be bred on the farm.
Initial purchase of fry.
Arrangement of reservoir infrastructure.

As practice shows, for farms of this scale, the most profitable fish species to breed are carp and trout. They grow quickly, are in demand on the market and do not require significant investments to create special breeding conditions. In addition, these breeds are of interest from the point of view of organizing their smoking and canning in the future. At the initial stage, it is planned to use 1 pond for the needs of the farm, since the cost of improving reservoirs is very high. One of the main requirements for a pond is the ability to drain water.

The demand for fish is determined by the size of the individual. For carp, the optimal weight is 1.2-1.7 kg, for trout - from 800 g to 1 kg. It is biologically normal to reach the following weight:

Carp – 3 years.
Trout – 2.5 years.

It should be taken into account that in the fall the carp growing cycle ends, so during this period the profitability of farms decreases.

A trout fry for breeding costs an average of 250-400 rubles. per 1 kg with a weight of one fry from 1 to 50 g. Losses when stocking ponds with fish are 10%. After about 2.5 years, the fry grow to 800 grams in weight and cost 140-160 rubles. for 1 kg.

Malek carp costs from 60-120 rubles. per 1 kg with an individual weight of 14-40 g.

With such costs for the purchase of planting material, the created farm will have a profitability at the initial stage of the project of 14-15%. This is above the inflation rate and allows us to maintain the operation of the smoking shop.

Financing for the creation of a fish farm is carried out by attracting commercial loans in the amount of 2.9 million rubles, which is the total cost of this business project. The loan rate is 17.5%.

These costs will pay off no later than in 2 years, and the bank will receive a profit in the amount of 201,115 rubles.

Loan repayment and interest payments on the loan begin from the 1st month of project implementation.

Marketing and advertising

Despite a slight decrease in the number of fish farms, the number of consumers of their products remained almost unchanged. Therefore, the newly created enterprise carries out active marketing and advertising activities to create a positive image in the market and improve its reputation among consumers. To achieve this, it is planned to implement the following activities:

Organize advertising of the company in local media and specialized print publications.
Create outdoor advertising on vehicles of the farm and its partners.
Develop an attractive logo and packaging.
Create your own website with the ability to order products and services online.
Ensure decent pay and working conditions for the company’s employees.

The main marketing resource is the high quality of products and services provided by the company.

Company equipment

To ensure normal operation of the farm, it is necessary to purchase the following equipment:

Vehicle for transporting fish.
Automatic feeder "Aqua Pro".
Frozen fish chopper DEP-4000.
Hummingbird Fish sonar.
Container for transporting live fish.
Accessories and tools for fishing and catching fish.
Rowing boat “WELBOT WOOD” (2 pcs.).

The farm equipment must ensure compliance with sanitary, hygienic, veterinary and environmental standards established by law. It is planned to rent premises with an area of 70-80 square meters for the company's personnel. m.

Financial plan

The financial year begins in January. The settlement period for paying taxes is a month. List of taxes paid:

Tax name	The tax base	Billing period	Bet amount
By the amount of profit	Profit volume	Mts	20%
Income	Payroll	Mts	13%
Contributions to social funds	Payroll	Mts	34%

The forecast of the enterprise's income structure was made taking into account:

Demand indicators for fish products.
Data about the services provided.
Analysis of the fish farming market.

When drawing up the forecast, a minimum profitability threshold was applied.

Period	Services	Production volume (kg, pcs. in mts)	Price (RUB per 1 kg)	Revenue amount (RUB per month)
1-12 mc (investment period)	Carrying out activities to improve the reservoir and surrounding area
	Wholesale sales of fry	3 000 – 10 000	150 – 1000	450 000 – 1 000 000
13-19 pm (production period)	Summer catching	100-200 tickets per day	800 – 1 000	300 000 – 6 000 000
	Winter catching	40-90 tickets per day	100-700	120 000 – 189 000
13-19 pm (production period)	Summer sales of club vouchers	5-6 pcs. per day	1 000 – 3 000	150 000 – 540 000
20-24 mc (production period)	Winter sales of club vouchers	10-20 pcs. per day	500 – 2 700	300 000 – 1 620 000
13-24 mc (production period)	Sales of products. Selling fish after catching a reservoir	3 000 – 10 000	100-600	900 000 – 18 000 000

With such production volumes, the total costs of creating a farm will be:

If existing trends in the fish farming market continue (annual growth of 30%), the farm will achieve sales volumes of up to 9.9 million rubles in 1 year. Investments in this project will pay off no later than 13 months from the date of launch of the enterprise. During the life cycle, the total economic effect from the project will be equal to 875,836 rubles.

Potential Risks

Traditional business risks are:

Uncertainty of the legislative framework.
Rising feed prices.
Low level of consumption of fish products in the country.
Rise in price of planting material.

In addition, the risk of various diseases is the highest. To preserve the number of fry, constant monitoring of their health will be required, for which control catches should be carried out and, if necessary, expensive medicinal feed should be purchased.

Eventually

The example that this business plan for fish farming contains with calculations proves that this type of economic activity is profitable and promising. Its successful management will require the founder of a fish farm to have high persistence and industry knowledge, which will help to consciously take responsibility for the operation of the enterprise.

Fish farming is not a new activity, but it is still very popular. Modern fish farms are engaged in the cultivation of fish, both in natural reservoirs and in artificial ponds and pools.

Absolutely all fish farming is divided into:

Prudovoe. This method is perfect for many types of fish of various breeds;
Basin fish farming. Ideal for raising salmon, carp, bream, perch, pike.
Sadkovoe. Cage farming is suitable for large breeds.
Fish farming in mini-reservoirs. Designed for small fish farms, since the breeding of individuals takes place in special barrels or baths.

Any aspiring entrepreneur who wants to make money by breeding fish needs to draw up a sample business plan. Using it, you can calculate not only upcoming expenses, but also expected profits.

Determining the location of the fish farm

In order to start raising fish, it is not necessary to choose a site somewhere far from the city, because long trips can bring large expenses. To begin with, you can completely limit yourself to your own land plot in the metropolis.

In the absence of natural reservoirs, you can independently build a small pool or dig a small pond. For a “cautious” start, a large metal bath will also do, which can be made either with your own hands or purchased from specialized factories.

It is worth remembering that the depth of a fish breeding pool, pond or bath must be at least 1.5 meters, and the bottom must not contain any foreign impurities and be clean. The presence of vegetation is necessary for fish, but only in moderation. It is imperative to monitor the purity of the water, preventing it from blooming.

For successful business development, you must remember that breeding and growing fish for its further sale is unlikely to bring a large amount of profit. In order for your own fish farming to flourish, it is worth taking up the selection of eggs and breeding fry.

If, after all, a businessman decides to breed fish in natural ponds, then first of all you need to know that all ponds are divided into:

Armhole;
Channel;
Beam.

Beam and channel ponds have shallow depth and clean water. However, for breeding and growing fish, it is still better to choose fishponds, since, unlike the previous two examples, such ponds do not have a bed or flow, which means that the fish will not be able to swim away anywhere.

It is important that for each stage of the life of individuals there is its own reservoir: feeding, rearing, reservoir for spawning and wintering.

Equipment selection

Of course, any aspiring entrepreneur should take training courses to learn modern fish farming technologies. But in the absence of such an opportunity, there are also basic requirements for the selection of equipment for fish farming.

First of all, you should get a device for filtering water, the so-called “gravity filter”. This device will significantly improve the quality of the reservoir, and therefore the survival rate of individuals.

Other equipment is selected separately, depending on the type of fish being grown.

Features of fish farming

When writing a business plan, you should take into account all the subtleties of fish breeding, which exist depending on the type of individual. Carps are the fastest growing fish, and therefore profitable for breeding.

Particular attention should be paid to fish nutrition. It is important to remember that there is simply no universal food. Depending on the fish breed, specialized food is selected, which is also divided into food for larvae, food for fry or food for adults.
Taking into account the peculiarities of fish farming, every entrepreneur will be able to protect himself from serious financial losses.

Expenses and income

In order to start a fish breeding business, you need to purchase fry. The cost of young animals depends on many factors. It is influenced by the breed of fish, the weight and size of the young. The smaller the fry, the higher its cost.

When calculating the volume of purchased fry, it is worth taking into account their losses. The mortality rate of young individuals is 10% of the total quantity purchased.

For example, an entrepreneur decided to breed trout for sale. The cost of a kilogram of young animals ranges from 250 to 400 rubles. The development of a young individual to an adult trout takes about 2.5 years. The weight of an adult trout is approximately 800 grams, and the market value of such fish varies from 140 to 160 rubles per 1 kg.

It would be a good idea for a novice businessman to purchase fertilized eggs. Such an investment can bring significant income, because with this method of fish farming, you can get a larger number of fry at a lower cost. By the way, very often experienced farmers breed young animals using this method.

An excellent way to increase income is to expand the range of services offered, for example, conducting paid fishing trips. This service will help increase the farm’s gross profit by 5 to 6%. The entrepreneur has to choose what he will sell: the catch itself or the time that the client will actually fish.

When writing a business plan for fish farming, it is worth paying great attention to its financial part, which consists of income and expenses.

Expenses

For example, for a businessman planning to start carp breeding, the expenses will look like this:

Purchase of young animals – 20,800 rubles;
Staff remuneration – 60,000 rubles;
Purchase of consumables and other materials – 26,100 rubles;
Purchase of food for carp – 13,300 rubles.
The total amount of expense items will be 120,200 rubles.

Income

The income from fish farming will consist of an approximate gross revenue of 200,000 rubles and net profit, which is calculated as the difference between gross revenue and expenses - 79,800 rubles. Moreover, an individual entrepreneur must pay taxes on the net profit received.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is worth noting that, despite the high payback period of the project, the fish farming business has every chance to become profitable and develop successfully, because the demand for fresh and high-quality fish is constantly growing. However, in order to protect yourself from the risks of financial collapse, you must very strictly adhere to the business plan for breeding fish.

It might be useful to read: