If you take up the cultivation of oysters correctly, you can become the owner of a profitable business. Due to economic sanctions and depletion of natural reserves, the market is experiencing a shortage of them. We will find out what are the methods of breeding mollusks, and how profitable is this business?
The subtleties of growing
Oyster farms are places for oyster farming on an industrial scale. But if at farms for breeding fish, pigs or chickens, a person can influence the growth process, then in the case of oysters, he only helps them grow in their usual conditions of existence.
Before tackling oysters, it is useful to delve into the intricacies of their life and cultivation:
- Before the presentation, the oyster grows from 3 to 5 years.
- Shellfish grow in their natural habitat - on “oyster glades” of coastal ocean waters, or on artificially created “farms”.
- The more difficult the living conditions, the more the mollusk fights for life, the tastier its meat. Trying to hold the salt water inside the sink, the clam becomes more resilient, fleshy, and in the end - more tasty.
- The taste of oysters literally depends on everything that it encounters - on the composition of water, on the speed of the current, on the density of plankton and much more.
Is it profitable to start an oyster business?
Previously, only people with access to natural reservoirs - seas and oceans - were engaged in the cultivation of oysters and other mollusks, but today everyone can do this profitable business. To do this, it is enough to purchase a special installation of a closed type for growing mollusks. Such installations are called ultrasound, they cost about $ 10,000. For business development, it is advisable to invest 80-100 thousand dollars.
Restaurants are interested in fresh oysters, so this gourmet product is always on sale.
The first oysters can be sold in the third year of cultivation. Therefore, the first two years there will be no profit. Only in the third year will the owner of the ultrasonic inspection make a profit that will cover the costs of starting a business. And only in the 5th year, the business will begin to bring real income.
When you reach the planned production volumes, the profit from growing shellfish will exceed 10 times the annual investment.
The smallest farm, using manual labor, can produce up to 10 tons of products per year. The cost of one clam is 2 euros. For harvesting - it is carried out in spring and autumn, two trained workers are enough. Experienced entrepreneurs can deploy a farm on 30-50 hectares, giving up to 1000 tons of shellfish.
So, the oyster business is profitable, but requires initial weighty investments and financial patience.
Food Oyster Classification
Food Oyster Classification:
- By the method of growing:
- full sea (wild) - grown in natural conditions;
- refined - grown in an artificial environment.
- To size: concave oysters - No. 5, No. 4, No. 3, No. 2, No. 1, No. 0, No. 00. The smallest size is 5, the largest is 00.
- By structure:
- Flat. These include 4 separate varieties of mollusks that differ in appearance, taste and price. Common to the British Isles and the Mediterranean Basin
- Deep. They are found in the Pacific Ocean. There are exquisite and special. The first are smaller.
In Europe, the most popular size of oysters is No. 3. The mass of these mollusks is 80-100 g. In Russia, the most popular oysters are No. 2, they weigh 100-120 g.
Refined oysters are also divided by density. The density coefficient of a mollusk is the ratio of the weight of meat of 20 mollusks of the same size to the weight of 20 oyster shells, multiplied by 100.
Among the mollusks of different densities, the oysters Special, Special de Claire, Fin de Claire, Pus-en Claire are distinguished. So, for example, Special's density coefficient is 10.5 or more. Shades of their taste depend on the density of oysters.
What are the most popular oysters?
What buyers pay attention to:
- Where oysters are grown. Gourmets prefer mollusks grown under natural conditions - their specialists can easily recognize by shape and taste. One “free” oyster today accounts for 9 shellfish grown on a farm.
But artificial cultivation has a serious advantage - you can influence their taste. Influence factors - water salinity, temperature, algae and more. It is believed that the most delicious mollusks are found in cold waters. - The taste of shellfish. The most delicious oysters grow in water containing 20-30% salt. With an increase in salt concentration to 35%, the clam meat becomes harsh. If the salt content in the water is less than 12%, the oysters die.
- Fishing time. The most tasteless oysters are harvested in summer. At this time, they multiply actively, and their taste often changes not for the better.
The most popular in culinary and restaurant are considered flat oysters. These include:
- Belon. It is found in the waters of Brittany. Grayish-white color, with a characteristic smell of iodine. The largest belon is the “horse hoof”.
- Buzig. It is found in the Mediterranean. Shellfish are large, round, with a brackish taste and the smell of the sea.
- Gravett. Popular oysters from the Arcachon Bay. They do not have much taste and smell, but they are very fleshy.
- Maren Oleron. This is the most valuable type of flat oysters. They are distinguished by a delicate structure and rich taste.
oyster Belon
oysters Buzig
oysters "gravett"
oysters "Maren Oleron"
Deep oysters are valued slightly less than flat oysters, but there is also a demand for them. 5 types belong to this type of oysters:
- Fin de Claire. The fattest with a light brackish flavor.
- Special. Very large, contain a lot of meat.
- Croesus. Irish oysters, fatty and fleshy.
- Blue Oyster. They differ in a special shade - it is obtained with the help of special content.
- White pearls. They have a sweetish taste and a graceful shell.
oysters "fin de claire"
oyster "Special"
oyster "Croesus"
oyster "Blue oyster"
oysters "White Pearl"
Growing conditions
Oyster business has not yet spread widely in Russia, so there is little competition in this industry. What are the features of the oyster business:
- You can breed any of the edible species of oysters. Each species requires certain living conditions, the human task is to provide them with mollusks.
- Harvest can be collected at any time - there is no need to do this before the order arrives.
- Mollusks do not need food - they live off of a natural food base.
The easiest way is to breed oysters where there is easy access to the coast. All those who do not have a sea nearby, but want to join the oyster business, will have to equip the farm.
When organizing oyster farms, it is necessary to perform certain tasks:
- To clean cages from algae and pollution.
- Sort the mollusks regularly, replanting them, as they grow, in large-sized cages.
- Catch predatory mollusks - rapans.
- Separate fused sinks.
What is needed for the farm?
In order to breed oysters for sale, it is necessary to carry out a number of works and select the conditions suitable for oysters:
- The depth of the reservoir is 20 m.
- The bottom of the pond is flat. The uneven surface is leveled.
- Protection against waves and pollution.
- Providing mollusks with oxygen and a food base - install special equipment for their supply.
- Periodic water tests.
Oysters feed on the smallest algae and microorganisms.
There are three options for oyster extraction:
- The collection of mollusks grown in natural conditions at low tide.
- Oysters are grown in cages located on marine “fields”.
- Oysters are kept in combined water - river and sea.
When breeding oysters in artificially created conditions, significant labor costs and certain knowledge are required. Mollusks create certain conditions of existence:
- When organizing a small oyster farm, about half a million rubles must be spent on the construction of cages. For the purchase of larvae - 10,000 rubles.
- It will be necessary to build a nursery for planting grown mollusks - approximately 130,000 rubles.
- Money is needed for staff salaries.
To supply oysters to restaurants and other catering facilities, you will need to draw up formal contracts. To do this, you must officially register your company. They make it out as an individual entrepreneur or LLC, register with the tax authorities, and choose the appropriate version of the taxation system.
Used oyster shells in some countries process - produce a product to stimulate the growth of oysters.
Cultivation methods
The main thing in breeding oysters is a favorable habitat. The further role of people is to control and maintain conditions. Any way to grow oysters can be super profitable.
Natural
Oysters can be bred without buying fry. "Seedlings" are taken to the sea, and mollusks grow in natural conditions. To grow oysters in this way, you need only three things - special tools, the sea and the ability to wait.
Features of growing oysters in vivo:
- Spat is mined - this is young oysters, to collectors exposed in the coastal zone during the breeding season. In oysters, reproduction begins in the spring and continues throughout the summer. During this period, the collectors do not move. Oyster larvae settle on collectors - there they grow.
- By the end of summer, young growth is moved to pockets covered with mesh. They are placed slightly above the bottom, on pillars. So, young animals protect from natural enemies and flooding frames. Shellfish feed on plankton, which abounds in the sea.
- After a couple of years, the young growth has been moved to the pools - they are called “overgrown”, here the oysters are located for about a year, reaching a “presentation”.
- The last stage is harvesting.
In order for oysters to be more weighty and fleshy, during the aging period in the growth pool, the mollusks should be partially immersed in water. Or mix with salt water fresh. Trying to keep the sea water in the sink, the mollusk builds muscle, becomes more elastic, the taste of its meat improves.
Modern oyster farming is based on the production of spatha and its rearing on the high seas. This approach has several serious drawbacks:
- only 30% of juveniles sent for rearing survive;
- low growth rate - due to periods of wintering;
- unstable growth due to the risk of inferiority or phytoplankton deficiency;
- force majeure circumstances - a storm, a hurricane and other adverse natural factors that destructively affect marine farms;
- epidemics among mollusks - they are not dependent on humans, and can destroy the entire "livestock";
- long-term cultivation - 3-4 years;
- high logistics costs;
- the risk of the concentration of toxic substances in mollusk meat is due to contamination of farm water areas due to industrial accidents.
At the same time, growing technology today remains dominant in the oyster business.
The main equipment for growing oysters:
- Collectors for larvae. They are made of copper wire, on which old sinks are strung. Between the cusps the interval is 1.5 cm. On each wire there are 100 cusps. The useful area of the valves on one collector is 0.5 square meters. m
- Collector containers. Made of corner metal.
- Kapron size 1.0 × 1.0 m.
Indicators of industrial growing oysters:
Indicators | Norms |
Settling of larvae per 1 sq. m collector | 1,400 pcs. |
Mollusk fecundity | 200-300 thousand units |
Collector reserve | 50 % |
The development of technology on the one hand, and the deterioration of the ecology of the ocean on the other hand, contributes to the development of artificial methods for growing oysters.
Artificial
The absence of the sea is not an obstacle to the development of oyster business today. An artificial habitat is being organized for this purpose. Installations of closed water supply are especially convenient, in which conditions are created that are ideal for any living creatures, including oysters of different breeds.
The cost of such plants amounts to tens of thousands of dollars, but it is they that make it possible to create a cost-effective and high-tech enterprise for the cultivation of shellfish.
Ultrasonic inspection consists of module pools, in which automation controls biological and chemical processes. The installation includes water purification and treatment systems. UZV is a closed system, so it does not need a constant water supply. Daily consumption rate is 5-10% of the total installation volume.
Benefits of using ultrasound:
- simplicity of operation;
- universality - you can grow oysters (or other mollusks, fish, crustaceans) anywhere in the world;
- profitability;
- the possibility of full automation - there is no need for highly qualified engineers;
- minimum logistics costs - a farm can be built as close to the market as possible;
- the possibility of delivering fresh products to the consumer - this improves the taste and usefulness of the product;
- accelerated growth - without wintering, growth time decreases;
- the use of species-specific plankton doubles the feeding rate and improves the quality indicators of oyster meat;
- there are no epidemics, predators and poachers - all this has a positive effect on business profitability;
- environmental friendliness of products;
- high taste characteristics;
- the ability to influence the color and taste of mollusks through the use of special phytoplankton.
What cultivation methods are used?
UZV installations are expensive equipment, not every novice entrepreneur will master its cost. For breeding mollusks, less expensive growing methods are also used today. Methods that are suitable for growing different types of mollusks are described below.
In the video below, the farmer talks about the cultivation of oysters in the UZV:
In fresh water
This is a simple method that does not require much knowledge and investment. In fresh water bodies, mainly “river oysters” are grown - mussels, as well as other freshwater mollusks. The cultivation of mollusks in fresh water is similar to their cultivation in salt waters.
Features of growing mollusks in fresh water:
- When choosing a site, they turn to a specialist who knows the technology of breeding mollusks.
- Collectors or old nets are tied to a horizontally stretched rope. At the bottom of the collector, a load is tied. In cold weather, collectors are buried to save them from storms and ice.
- With poor water exchange, one-year-old individuals fall off - “productivity” decreases.
- Constantly monitor the number of livestock, transplanting excess clams to other sites.
- The minimum water temperature is +12 ° C. And for young growth to settle on artificial sewers, the water must be even warmer.
Unpaved
Young growth is collected by special collectors and placed in growing areas. The growing period is 3 years. Features of growing on the ground:
- In advance, they find areas for the extraction of planting material. Prepare a place on the shallows. Establish protection against parasites and predators.
- In May-July, larvae are collected. The process lasts until September. Young animals settled on poles are transplanted to special collectors hanging from special rafts.
- To collectors under the weight of the weight did not fall to the bottom, they are transferred to a new place, separating the outer layer. A site is selected that is protected from predators and with a good forage base.
- A few years later, when the mollusks reach their presentation, they are collected by dredges and stored at the tide - so that they are cleaned of mud.
The disadvantages of growing mollusks on soils:
- the possibility of losses due to predators and parasites that have overcome protective barriers;
- mollusks overgrown with mud;
- particles of minerals and sand fall into the meat.
Much more efficient is raft farming. It is desirable to mechanize the processing process. It is important to monitor the planting density of mollusks in order to thin them out in time.
In aquarium
It is difficult to maintain marine species of mollusks in aquariums; they require certain conditions and care. In aquariums, mollusks are kept only for the sake of interest - this method of cultivation is not suitable for commercial activities.
Features of growing mollusks in aquariums:
- It’s better to buy specimens in pet stores - so as not to infect water with any diseases.
- The aquarium should be spacious, it must be equipped with filtration and aeration systems.
- To make the water harder, the bottom is lined with chalk, shell rock, pure limestone. Also, calcium ions should be added to the water.
- Water temperature - no more than +22 ° C. Too warm water will kill the mollusks.
Harvesting"
About three years elapse from the moment the larvae are launched until the harvest. During this time, you need to prepare for the collection, having acquired the necessary tools. When naturally grown, oysters are usually harvested in the colder months - from September to April.
The benefits of collecting in the cold:
- During breeding - in the warm season, oyster meat is thin, watery and less tasty.
- There are a lot of bacteria in warm water, oyster meat becomes more dangerous, especially since they are eaten mainly raw.
As soon as oysters grow to marketable sizes, they are collected and sent for processing, where such work is performed:
- washing;
- sorting;
- weighing;
- packaging.
Features of the collection of oysters:
- The best weather for oyster picking is dry and sunny. It is not recommended to collect oysters in the rain or immediately after it. You need to wait 2-4 days - the mollusks after rains are contaminated with bacteria and harmful substances contained in sea water.
- Oyster shells are sharp - you can cut yourself, so they are collected by wearing gloves.
Oysters are valued fresh, but if necessary, they can be stored in freezers for a year.
Sales market
Western oysters are on the list of banned products. As a result, the production of own oysters in Russia has increased tenfold. Instead of oysters brought from Europe, in cafes and restaurants - served shellfish grown in Russia. Moreover, today the state is interested in the development of oyster business, and provides it with all kinds of support.
The domestic market of Russia is ready to absorb a huge number of oysters - the demand for them is enormous. Almost no restaurant is complete without this product. Anyone who invests in the development of this super profitable business will easily find buyers.
State support for oyster business
Demand for oysters exceeds supply. This product is appreciated all over the world not only for taste, but also for dietary qualities. Today, oyster business is supported at the state level. In particular, the RF law "On the development of mariculture" was adopted, creating favorable conditions for the cultivation of oysters. Especially interesting and profitable is the oyster business in the Black Sea.
Watch the video on how to breed oysters is necessary and needs to be promoted:
The state support program provides for the following benefits for oyster business owners:
- Tax exemption.
- No water rental required.
- The possibility of receiving subsidies.
What is the difference between oysters and mussels?
You can breed for sale a variety of shellfish. Along with oysters, farms often grow mussels, their differences:
- They are smaller than oysters.
- Less demanding on the conditions of existence.
- They can move along the bottom, and oysters live settled.
- In mussels, the shell is round, in oysters - flat or slightly concave.
- The mussel shell is smooth, its edges are sharp. Oysters have rough shells, the edges are wavy.
- Raw mussels are not eaten, and oysters are usually served raw.
- Oysters are light, mussels are dark.
But the main thing that a person who decided to breed mollusks should know is the cost of oysters and mussels. The latter, although considered a delicacy, are much cheaper, because their breeding is less time-consuming.
Oyster farming is an extremely promising area. The main problem is the initial costs. If you are ready to invest in a profitable business, then, after 5 years, you can become the owner of a significantly profitable business.
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