| By :
Mark Jenner
Trout farming development saw its peak in the 1970s and nowadays is an industry that has matured and stabilized. Therefore, it is no longer an attractive investment opportunity. However, if somebody has the right resources to hand it can still form a profitable business development opportunity on a more modest scale. The current economics of trout farming mean that any development needs to be of a farm that is capable of producing at least three hundred tons of fish a year to be profitable. Unfortunately there are no longer any suitable sites available that would support this level of production and any that are still undeveloped would likely be more suitable for more profitable enterprises these days. For any landowner, farmer or business having some land and access to a good water supply it is possible to set up a profitable trout farm as a secondary business. It is critical that the water supply is of a sufficient and constant flow every day of the year. It is no good if the supply dries up in the summer or is vulnerable to a farmer upstream closing a valve or dumping a load of waste fertilizer in it! To get started most economically it is possible to dig simple earth ponds in the Danish style and fit them with inlets and outlets formed from treated timber. Alternatively you can install prefabricated sluices made from fiber glass. You can buy these from aquaculture supply merchants. The new ponds should be filled and allowed to stand for a while to allow any impurities in the soil to leach out before the fish are stocked. These will be added to the ponds one or more times a year from good quality hatcheries. The herons and cormorants that will prey on your stock must be kept at bay by covering each pond with netting. Automatic or 'demand' fish feeders are also positioned by each pond. You can get them made by a local fabricator or buy them from a fish farm equipment supplier. An appropriate size of trout pellet must be added to them on a regular basis. The pellets can be obtained from trout food manufacturers by the ton or in sacks. The fish will take 12 to 18 months to grow to a portion size and may need grading along the way as trout tend to grow at different rates. When ready for harvesting the biggest will be graded out and the rest allowed to grow again until the next harvest date. Thus a smooth and regular output can be obtained. For any landowner or person with access to a plot of land with a spring or stream setting up a modest trout farm business can provide a valuable side line income to any existing businesses.
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