Under the auspices of Dr Khalfan bin Said al Shuaili, Minister of Housing and Urban Planning, a major shrimp farm project promoted by Natural Shrimp Aquaculture LLC at Qurum in the Wilayat of Jaalan Bani Bu Hassan was opened on Thursday.
Fisheries Development Oman (FDO), owned by Oman Investment Authority (OIA), is a key investor in Natural Shrimp Aquaculture LLC through its investment arm Oceanic Shrimp Company. Construction work on the RO 20 million worth venture, which is one of the first shrimp farming investments of FDO, began in November 2018.
The project marks the start of a number of farming projects that will be developed along the coasts of the Arabian Sea in South Al Sharqiyah and Al Wusta governorates in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources under the supervision and follow up of Oman Vision 2040 Implementation Follow up Unit.
The Qurun shrimp farm is built in an area of 500 hectares of land with a production capacity targeted at about 2,100 tons in 2022, which is projected to increase to 4,600 tons per annum upon full operation in 2023.
The project features an intake canal built into the sea stretching over 300-metres for supplying seawater and another canal for the discharge of the used water after being treated as per the local and international environmental standards.
Other components of the project include: a maturation unit for egg production with capacity of 1.2 billion baby shrimps per year; a post-larval production unit with a capacity of 400 million baby shrimps per year; a nursery unit with a capacity of 250 million juvenile shrimps per year; 220 grow out ponds – each of 5,041 square metres; a facility for pre-processing and packing of shrimps; administrative offices; warehouses and central laboratory, maintenance workshops, and a full-fledged labour camp.
Significant, the farm will add value to researchers in the field of shrimp Aquaculture and will help in opening an aquaculture and biosecurity training centre.
Additionally, the project will create a number of business opportunities for SMEs operating in allied industries. It will open the door for the establishment of added-value projects for shrimp production, promote SMEs opportunities, impart technology, and enhance national capacities for the project staff, 40 per cent of whom are Omanis. There are plans to Omanise all positions in the coming years.
