0.8-1.2T/H Shrimp Feed Roller Breaker in Honduras

A Honduran Shrimp Farming Cooperative

The client is a formal cooperative of approximately thirty family-run shrimp farms in the Choluteca department. Their scale is medium, but their collective purchasing and processing power is significant. The decision to invest in one pellet feed crumbler was a democratic one, aimed at reducing a major variable cost for all members.

They didn't need the ultra-fine precision of a hatchery machine or the massive throughput of an industrial plant. They needed a sturdy, no-frills workhorse—a roller breaker that could be operated by members on a rotating schedule.

Buying a single machine was a practical and unifying investment, pooling their resources to buy a higher-quality asset than any individual farm could justify, directly addressing a shared pain point.

Material Processing & Equipment Selection for Collective Farming

The input material is a locally produced, cost-effective 2.0mm sinking shrimp pellet from a major Honduran feed company. These pellets are nutritionally sound and widely used in the region's grow-out phase.

The cooperative's requirement was for sufficient capacity to process batches for multiple members on a weekly schedule, with an emphasis on durability and simplicity over extreme precision.

The feed needed to be broken into a useful crumble, not powdered. For this communal, hands-on application, a double roller machine offered the perfect combination of straightforward mechanics and effective performance. The RICHI SSLG15*80 Double Roller Breaker was identified as the ideal model.

• Model: SSLG15*80
• Power: 4 kW – A modest and efficient power draw, suitable for the cooperative's electrical infrastructure and keeping operating costs low.
• Roller Configuration: Two rollers, 15cm in diameter with an 80cm working length. This size provides ample capacity for their batch-processing needs without being oversized or intimidating for member-operators.
• Design Philosophy: Built for function and longevity with standard, durable roller corrugations designed to break pellets effectively into a granular crumble.
• Target Output: Capable of processing 0.8 - 1.2 tonnes per hour of pellets. This allows the cooperative to efficiently produce several tonnes of nursery crumble in a day's operation, enough to supply all members for the coming week.

The Roller Breaker's Role: Enabling Cost-Effective, Localized Production

This single shrimp feed roller breaker is the centerpiece of the cooperative's new processing shed. Its function is both economic and empowering:

1. Producing Affordable Nursery Crumble: The machine is set to break the 2.0mm pellets into a 1.0-1.5mm coarse crumble. This size is ideal for their nursery ponds, where post-larval shrimp (PL12-15) are reared to a larger size before transfer to grow-out ponds. It improves feed accessibility compared to the whole pellet.
2. Generating Significant Cost Savings: By processing their own crumble from bulk-purchased pellets, the cooperative estimates a 20-25% reduction in feed cost for the critical nursery phase. These savings go directly back into the pockets of member farmers.
3. Ensuring Freshness and Quality Control: The cooperative now produces crumble on demand. This guarantees freshness, eliminates the risk of receiving stale or compromised imported feed, and allows them to optionally mix in approved probiotics or supplements uniformly before breaking, something they couldn't do with pre-bagged commercial crumble.
4. Fostering Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing: The shared facility and machine have become a hub for farmers. While waiting for their feed to be processed, they exchange ideas and discuss farming challenges, strengthening the cooperative's social and technical fabric.

The final broken feed crumble is bagged in marked sacks for each member farm. This system not only saves money but also builds a powerful sense of collective self-reliance.

Logistics: Delivery to Central America's Pacific Coast

The breaker was manufactured with a focus on robust construction. It was assembled, tested, and then prepared for shipping in a sturdy export crate. The shipment departed from Qingdao Port.

For Honduras, a common and efficient port of entry on the Pacific side is Port of San Lorenzo in the Gulf of Fonseca. This port's proximity to the cooperative's location in Choluteca made it the logical choice, minimizing costly and complex overland transport across the country.

Technical Advantages: Why the RICHI SSLG15*80 Was the Right Tool

The cooperative, advised by a local agricultural engineer, chose RICHI for reasons that aligned perfectly with their practical realities:

• Simplicity and Ease of Use as a Primary Feature: The double roller mechanism is intuitive. Training multiple members from different farms to operate and perform basic maintenance was straightforward. There are no complex feeder adjustments or sensitive calibrations—it's a machine designed to be understood by farmers.
• Exceptional Durability for a Shared Asset: The machine's construction—from the welded steel frame to the hardened rollers—is built to withstand use by multiple operators and the humid, salty coastal environment. It needed to be a "community-proof" asset, and RICHI's reputation for robust build quality was a key factor.
• Low Operational and Maintenance Costs: The 4kW motor translates to very reasonable electricity costs. Furthermore, the simple design means spare parts (like drive belts) are standard and affordable, and most repairs can be handled locally. This kept the total cost of ownership predictable, which is crucial for a cooperative budget.
• Reliable, Consistent Output: The machine delivers on its promise of a high percentage of usable crumble. The cooperative reported a consistently good yield with minimal powder, meaning very little of their purchased pellet raw material is wasted.

The RICHI Partnership: Supporting a Community Enterprise

Our support was tailored to ensure the success of this collective project:

• Pre-Sales Practical Planning: We provided detailed information on space requirements, power supply needs, and safety considerations to help the cooperative design their simple processing shed.
• Clear, Visual Documentation: We supplied installation and operation manuals with extensive diagrams and photographs, which were invaluable for the cooperative's members who might have varying levels of technical literacy. Basic instructions were also provided in Spanish.
• Remote Commissioning Assistance: Via scheduled video calls, our engineer guided the cooperative's nominated technician through the final assembly, alignment checks, and the first test runs, ensuring everything was set up correctly for long-term reliability.

Client Feedback: Voices from the Cooperative

After nearly a year of operation, the cooperative's elected president and several members provided collective feedback through their project liaison:

"Getting the roller breaker was a big achievement for our group. The machine arrived well-packed, and with the manuals and the video help from RICHI, we got it running ourselves. It is a solid piece of equipment. Our members take turns operating it, and everyone learned quickly.

The crumble it makes is perfect for our nursery ponds—consistent and not dusty. We are saving a lot of money on feed now, which is the most important thing. The machine hasn't given us any major problems; it just works.

It has brought us together and made us more independent. For a cooperative like ours, this shrimp feed roller breaker has been an excellent investment. It does exactly what we needed it to do, simply and reliably."

Building Resilience Through Shared Technology in Honduras

This project in Honduras exemplifies how appropriate, robust technology from RICHI can empower agricultural communities, turning collective challenges into shared opportunities.

The SSLG15*80 Shrimp Feed Roller Breaker is more than a feed processor; it is a tool for economic resilience, fostering collaboration, and increasing the profitability and sustainability of smallholder aquaculture.

It demonstrates RICHI Machinery's commitment to providing solutions that are accessible, durable, and perfectly suited to the real-world needs of farmers and cooperatives worldwide.

Are you part of a farming cooperative, a group of producers, or an independent farm looking to gain control over feed costs and quality? A reliable roller breaker can be the first step towards greater self-sufficiency. RICHI Machinery offers a range of practical and efficient pellet breakers and roller crumblers designed for real-world farming conditions.

Contact RICHI Machinery today to discuss how our dependable equipment can support your collective or individual goals, just as we partnered with a forward-thinking cooperative in Honduras to help them write their own success story.