Costs and profit of a whiteleg shrimp crop in lined ponds: how to calculate the cost per kg of shrimp and the break-even point

"How much does it cost to raise one kilo of whiteleg shrimp, and what price do I need to sell at to make a profit?" is the question farmers ask most when feed prices rise. This article compiles the costs of farming whiteleg shrimp in lined ponds from published studies, then shows how to calculate the cost per kg of shrimp, the break-even point and ways to reduce costs yourself.

All figures in the article state their source and survey period; prices vary by year and by region, so use them only as benchmarks for comparison.

Real-world data: how much does a whiteleg shrimp crop in a lined pond cost?

Survey of lined ponds in the Mekong Delta (2020). Huynh Van Hien et al. (Vietnam Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology, 2021) interviewed 178 households in Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, Ca Mau and Kien Giang. Average results:

• Stocking density 157.1 shrimp/m², culture period 90–100 days, harvest size 61.6 shrimp/kg, FCR 1.3.
• Yield 15.9 tonnes/ha/crop; total cost about VND 1.29 billion/ha/crop.
• Production cost VND 81,100/kg (lowest in Soc Trang at VND 77,600/kg, highest in Kien Giang at VND 87,900/kg).
• Selling price VND 116,700/kg, profit VND 35,600/kg, profit margin 44%.

Survey of super-intensive lined above-ground tanks in Ca Mau (2022–2023). Pham Tien Si et al. (Can Tho University Journal of Science, 2024), 60 households: final survival 75.3%, eFCR 1.29, yield 4.18 tonnes/1,000 m³/crop. Total cost VND 335.6 million/1,000 m³/crop, production cost VND 80,755/kg, average selling price VND 142,481/kg.

Price context in early 2026. According to Tuoi Tre (9 March 2026), in An Giang whiteleg shrimp at size 100 shrimp/kg fetched about VND 90,000/kg, and farmers considered that the price had to be above VND 100,000/kg to make a decent profit; feed cost VND 560,000–900,000 per 20–25 kg bag.

Cost structure: feed always comes first

Share of each cost item (% of total cost) in the two sources with detailed data; CTU-RAS is the recirculating system developed by Can Tho University and deployed in Ca Mau (Le Quoc Viet et al., report of August 2026):

In the Ca Mau above-ground tanks (Si et al., 2024), feed accounted for 63.92% of variable costs, and drugs and chemicals 16.00%.

Common ground: feed accounts for roughly half to nearly two-thirds of costs.

Depreciation of liners and infrastructure

Investment in lined ponds has to be spread (depreciated) across each crop:

• According to Hien et al. (2021), fixed costs accounted for 13.8% of total costs: depreciation of construction works 7.0%; machinery, equipment and liners 5.7%; storehouses and other materials 1.1%.
• Si et al. (2024) calculated depreciation by service life: pond excavation and tank construction 10 years; liners 5 years; equipment (air diffusers, paddlewheel aerators, motors, pumps) 5 years; generators 15 years. Of these, liner depreciation was the highest, at about VND 2.39 million/1,000 m³/crop.

Depreciation per crop = purchase price ÷ years of service ÷ crops per year. Forgetting this item makes you think you are earning more than you really are.

How to calculate the cost per kg of shrimp from FCR and survival

Three formulas farmers need to know:

1. Yield (kg) = number of shrimp stocked × survival rate ÷ harvest size (shrimp/kg).
2. FCR = total kg of feed fed ÷ kg of shrimp harvested. (Boyd, 2021).
3. Production cost (VND/kg) = total cost for the whole crop ÷ total kg of shrimp harvested.

From this it follows that feed cost per kg of shrimp = FCR × price of 1 kg of feed. Meanwhile PL, electricity and depreciation are almost fixed for a crop, so low survival reduces yield and pushes up the production cost.

The CTU-RAS data (2026) illustrate this: sites 1 and 2 had survival of 74.3% and 68.9% and production costs of VND 76,000 and VND 69,500/kg; site 3 had survival of only 42.1%, FCR 1.35, and its production cost jumped to VND 107,200/kg.

Hypothetical example to illustrate the calculation

The figures below are a hypothetical example to illustrate the calculation, not actual data from any pond.

Assumptions: a 1,000 m² lined pond, 150,000 shrimp stocked, harvest size 60 shrimp/kg, feed price VND 30,000/kg, and costs other than feed (PL, electricity, chemicals, probiotics, labour, depreciation) totalling VND 62 million/crop.

Scenario A: 150,000 × 75% ÷ 60 = 1,875 kg; feed 1,875 × 1.3 × VND 30,000 ≈ VND 73.1 million; production cost (73.1 + 62) million ÷ 1,875 kg ≈ VND 72,100/kg.

Total cost is almost unchanged, but the poor pond (B) has a production cost nearly VND 20,000 per kilo higher than the good pond (C).

Break-even point: what price do you need to avoid a loss?

• Break-even selling price = production cost. Selling below the production cost means a loss, regardless of whether the yield is large or small.
• Break-even yield = total cost ÷ expected selling price.

Continuing hypothetical example A, with an assumed selling price of VND 90,000/kg: break-even yield = VND 135.1 million ÷ 90,000 ≈ 1,500 kg. If the pond harvests 1,875 kg, the profit is about 1,875 × 90,000 − VND 135.1 million ≈ VND 33.6 million. But in scenario B (production cost ~VND 86,300/kg), at the same selling price of VND 90,000/kg the profit is only about VND 5.5 million, a very thin margin.

How to reduce the cost per kg of shrimp

1. Lower the FCR, because feed is the largest cost.

• Feed according to feeding trays, split into multiple meals, and reduce feeding in bad weather and when shrimp are moulting. See feed management for shrimp.
• Boyd (2021) points out that a low FCR not only reduces feed cost but also reduces waste and oxygen demand: in his estimates table, oxygen demand is about 1,100 kg per tonne of product at FCR 1.0, rising to 2,200 kg/tonne at FCR 2.0.
• Keep the gut healthy so shrimp absorb feed well; see the digestive enzymes and immunity solution.

2. Keep survival high. PL is a fixed cost; every shrimp lost means the money spent on PL and the feed already fed are lost too. Choose disease-free PL (how to choose good whiteleg shrimp postlarvae and check PCR results), prepare the pond thoroughly, and monitor shrimp health following the care schedule by days of culture.

3. Use electricity sensibly. Electricity and fuel account for about 7–9% of total costs; increase aerator running time gradually in line with the amount of feed rather than running at maximum throughout the crop, but never switch aerators off at night or before dawn; always keep dissolved oxygen ≥ 4 mg/L (ideally ≥ 5 mg/L). See paddlewheel aerator layout and dissolved oxygen in shrimp ponds.

4. Use drugs and probiotics at the right dose and the right time. Drugs and chemicals account for about 9% (Hien et al., 2021) to 16% of variable costs (Si et al., 2024). Test the water before treating, calculate the dose from the actual volume with the dose calculator, and avoid adding extra "just to be safe".

5. Reduce the cost of capital. Buying feed on deferred payment adds 10–15% (Tuoi Tre, 2026).

6. Make liners and aerators last to reduce depreciation per crop. See also whiteleg shrimp farming techniques in lined ponds.

Supporting Noben products

Products supporting the purposes stated on the label, used at the dose on the label:

• BIOZYME: adds beneficial bacteria and supports digestion and rapid feed absorption; the label states it helps reduce FCR; mix 5 ml/kg of feed, 2 times/day.
• PROZYME: supports digestion and absorption of feed; mix 5 g/kg of feed, 2 times/day.
• PROTICBEST: probiotic that cleans the bottom, the water and liner slime, and decomposes organic waste and uneaten feed.
• CLEAR 12H: probiotic that breaks down organic sludge and uneaten feed on the pond bottom, reduces toxic gases and helps clean liner slime and water slime.

References

• Technical and financial efficiency of intensive whiteleg shrimp farming in lined ponds in the Mekong Delta (in Vietnamese) – Vietnam Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology (Huynh Van Hien et al.), 2021
• Analysis of technical and financial aspects of super-intensive whiteleg shrimp farming in above-ground tanks in Ca Mau (in Vietnamese) – Can Tho University Journal of Science (Pham Tien Si et al.), 2024
• Research, application and development of super-intensive whiteleg shrimp farming using multi-species recirculating technology (CTU-RAS) (in Vietnamese) – Can Tho University (Le Quoc Viet, Chau Tai Tao, Tran Ngoc Hai), 2026
• Farmers in Miet Thu, An Giang enter the shrimp season 'besieged' by high costs (in Vietnamese) – Tuoi Tre Newspaper, 2026
• A low feed conversion ratio is the primary indicator of efficient aquaculture – Global Seafood Alliance (C. E. Boyd), 2021