Trio to launch new aquaculture app in Singapore

An app that’s designed to help fish and shrimp farmers in Singapore and beyond is due to be launched next month.

The app will initially be trialled at Blue Aqua's four farms in Singapore

The app is currently being developed by Blue Aqua International, analytics software company SAS and Temasek Polytechnic's Aquaculture Innovation Centre. The initial model will enable shrimp and fish farmers to use real-time data analytics technology to track critical parameters such as water quality, feed management and animal health.

With the app, farmers will receive alerts informing them of potential issues and the appropriate remedies needed. They can also use the dashboards generated from historical data collected to gain insights on the state of their farms, reports Business Times Singapore

"Singapore's aquaculture industry is very young, we have a long way to go. Looking at the '30-by-30' goal [under which Singapore will aim to produce 30 per cent of its nutritional needs by 2030], it's not easy to achieve, but not impossible," said Dr Farshad Shishehchian, chief executive and founder of Blue Aqua International, in a statement to mark the launch.

Blue Aqua's four farms in Singapore will trial the app, but Dr Shishehchian has plans to roll it out in other parts of the Asia-Pacific region in time.

A farmer himself, he said that the market already has similar aquaculture data-tracking apps, but they are expensive, and more useful for aquaculture operators n Europe or America, where the farming landscape is different compared to Asia.

"Developing AI capabilities is critical to the long-term success of the country's smart-farming programme. Farmers have an amazing opportunity to evolve their methods and adapt to technology solutions that can help them be more efficient and achieve higher yields through smart farming," said Remco den Heijer, Asean vice-president of SAS.

The app will require manual data entry upon its launch, but Dr Shishehchian indicated that it will integrate sensor technology in the future too.

"We have the roadmap, the planning. But this first version will be the foundation," he said.