RICHI MACHINERY Shrimp Feed Production Line Operational in Vietnam

The Mekong Delta spreads flat and green, crisscrossed by canals that carry freshwater from the river and saltwater from the sea. Shrimp ponds line every waterway, their aerators churning the surface. The new feed plant sits on high ground near Can Tho, serving farms throughout the region.

Market Background

Vietnam's shrimp industry has grown explosively over two decades, becoming the country's largest seafood export earner. Intensive farming requires intensive feeding—high-protein diets delivered multiple times daily. Feed quality directly affects survival rates, growth, and disease resistance.

Most shrimp farmers in the region buy feed from large manufacturers who dominate the market. Prices are high, formulations are standardized, and supply disruptions during peak seasons are common. The customer for this plant, a cooperative of shrimp farmers, decided to produce their own feed to gain control over both cost and quality.

Raw Material and Formulation

Shrimp feed differs from fish feed in several ways. Pellets must be smaller—1.5 to 2.5 millimeters diameter for most grow-out stages. They must sink slowly rather than float or drop rapidly. And they must maintain water stability for hours, not minutes, because shrimp are slow feeders.

The formulation uses:

• Fishmeal and soybean meal for protein, with fishmeal levels higher than in warmwater fish feeds
• Corn and wheat for energy, ground to fine particles
• Vegetable oil for palatability and energy density
• Vitamins and mineral premix with attention to micronutrients that affect shell formation

Binders are included to improve water stability, a critical factor in shrimp farming where uneaten feed degrades pond water quality.

Process Design and Equipment Features

The Can Tho shrimp feed production line incorporates shrimp-specific design elements:

• Micro-batching system for precise dosing of minor ingredients
• Water-drop hammer mill achieving the fine particle size shrimp require
• Twin-screw extruder with screw profiles configured for shrimp feed density
• Multi-stage drying with gentle airflows to prevent pellet damage
• Vacuum oil coating for high-fat inclusion
• Cooling, screening, and automatic packing

The extruder settings were calibrated during commissioning to achieve the specific gravity that produces slow-sinking pellets—dense enough to sink but slowly enough that shrimp can capture them before they reach the bottom.

Installation and Trial Production

Installation ran through November and December, working around the region's rainy season when outdoor work is difficult. The customer's team participated actively, learning the equipment during installation rather than waiting for formal training.

Trial production in January confirmed the line's ability to maintain 2 tons per hour with consistent pellet quality. Water stability tests showed pellets holding together for more than two hours—meeting the customer's specification.

Operational Benefits

For the cooperative's members, the plant means feed at cost rather than at commercial margins. It means formulations adjustable to their specific conditions—different protein levels for different seasons, different additive packages for different disease pressures. And it means supply security during peak demand when commercial manufacturers allocate production to their largest customers.