Getting To Know Delos, Aquatech Startup Entering The Shrimp Farm Sector: Production Increases 3 Times

JAKARTA - The science-based aquatech startup Delos has chosen to enter the shrimp aquaculture segment in developing its business.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Delos Guntur Mallarangeng assessed that most of the shrimp ponds in Indonesia could not be optimized properly. On the other hand, Indonesia has great potential to increase the yield of shrimp farming as one of the leading commodities.

“Shrimp is a commodity with great potential because of its large economic value and is sustainable because it can be cultivated. That is, we can make this shrimp to enter the industrial scale. This is different from the catch commodity, which is quite vulnerable if it is explored on a large scale,” he told VOI, Thursday, December 30.

Guntur is optimistic that the business he carries can reap success in the future. This is because Indonesia has a number of requirements to become an important player in this industry in the global arena.

“We are the country with the second longest coastline in the world after Canada. But remember, Indonesia has the advantage of being a tropical country, we have sunshine all year round. Not only that, the number of fishermen who reach millions of us can convert them into cultivators," he said.

According to Guntur's notes, the valuation of international shrimp commodity trade reaches US$40 billion per year. Meanwhile, Indonesia's portion is still relatively small at 2 billion US dollars.

“Even though the production capacity of shrimp processing companies is only around 40-60 percent, so it can still be increased. We are aware that this condition occurs due to a lack of raw material supply. That's why we try to help the farmers to be able to increase their production," he explained.

In detail, Guntur identifies three aspects why the domestic shrimp aquaculture sector is not yet optimal.

First, the lack of scientific application of technology. Two, the quality of human resources that have not been supported. And the third is the lack of financial sector support because the majority of formal financial institutions consider this segment to be quite risky.

"If these three problems are not solved, it will be very difficult for this industry to develop," he said.

Furthermore, the eldest of national figures, Rizal Mallarangeng, revealed that the average production of conventional shrimp ponds ranges from 7-8 tons per hectare.

“Through the application of technology owned by Delos, shrimp ponds can produce production of 25 tons to 35 tons per hectare and this is the target we actually want to offer to clients. We are very confident because the operation of Delos in the pond managed by Dewi Laut Aquaculture can produce an average of 41.8 tons per hectare,” he explained.

"So what we do is apply technology and science in our own ponds, we wrap it in the Delos application and operational system, then apply this system to ponds that are not yet optimal," concluded Guntur.