Welcome to The Fish Farmer
The Fish Farmer has been feeding Singapore since 2007, when it was first founded. The group’s four farms — located off the waters of Lim Chu Kang and Changi — is capable of producing 1,000 tonnes of fish annually, including species like grey mullet, milk fish, red snapper, barramundi and sea perch.
The Fish Farmer is committed to natural and sustainable fish farming, with its farms being constructed from recycled materials and its fish nurtured without any growth enhancements.
Old school meets new tech
Malcolm takes you behind the scenes of The Fish Farmer’s farms, and shares how both people skills and production know-how are keys to success.
What's in the water
Despite our modest land mass, water conditions around Singapore can differ vastly, requiring constant vigilance and monitoring from fish farmers.
“Not every location has the same problem,” Malcolm shares. “Our farms at Lim Chu Kang have much more severe dissolved oxygen problems than our farm at Changi.” To solve this problem, technology like aerators are employed to increase oxygen levels in the water.
Tradition supplemented by technology
While The Fish Farmer’s emphasis is on fish grown in natural environments and in line with tradition, the group also taps on various innovations to enhance productivity on its four farms.
“Data collection and other high-tech solutions require electricity, but sustainability is key,” Malcolm elaborates. “For example, our water monitoring system is solar-powered and designed for a low energy footprint, while still allowing us to tap on the power of the cloud (cloud computing).”
Communication is key
While laymen may think that production is the key component to success in aquaculture, the ability to build rapport with people is of paramount importance for a fish farmer.
“You won’t believe how important it is to speak Hokkien (and Mandarin) in this business,” Malcolm laughs, reminiscing on the difficulties he had making contacts in the industry. “And my Mandarin is half-past six! One of the only times I’ve successfully communicated in Chinese was to ask my father-in-law for permission to marry my wife.”
Fish products for the future
Besides looking to increase both variety and yield, The Fish Farmer is venturing into packaging and processing new products, such as pies and soups.
“The number of people buying whole fish is dwindling,” Malcolm explains. “Convenience and easy-to-cook products are some of the ways we’re looking to encourage Singaporeans to buy local.”
Fascinating farm facts
Modern fish farming is a fascinating profession. Learn more about The Fish Farmer with these fun factoids.
Barramundi — one of the species of fish nurtured at The Fish Farmer — changes its sex from male to female after 3-4 years of maturation.
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Milkfish have been around for millennia — Ancestors of this species of fish can be traced all the way back to the Cretaceous period. |
The Fish Farmer is Singapore’s largest producer of mullet and milkfish. |
Feast for SG’S food security
Eat local and do your part to support our local farming community.
Eager to taste the delectable seafood from The Fish Farmer for yourself? You’ll be able to find their products on Amazon Fresh, RedMart and SGFreshMart.sg, as well as supermarkets like Cold Storage and NTUC FairPrice.
Keep an eye out for the SG Fresh Produce logo below to sample produce proudly grown and harvested on Singaporean soil.
