Homegrown Shrimp USA (HGS) opened its first shrimp farming facility in the U.S., located in a rural, cattle and citrus community in the heart of Martin County, Florida. It produces Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) and includes a hatchery established five years ago that has been producing and selling shrimp postlarvae to shrimp farmers in several countries around the world.

It also now boasts its newly finished indoor grow-out facility, which recently started operations. “HGS now creates in the U.S. a much-desired, premium, wholesome and sustainable shrimp that consumers can enjoy and also feel good about consuming it,” said Robins Macintosh, HGS CEO and CP Foods senior vice president.

HGS postlarvae are produced from the genetically improved shrimp lines globally developed by the Thai company Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF), the parent company of HGS. HGS was established to showcase CPF’s shrimp culture technology and commitment to producing sustainable shrimp in those countries it trades and conducts business with.

HGS’s hatchery has the capacity to produce over 60 million postlarvae annually, and its new 80,000 ft2 indoor, metal building to grow the postlarvae to market size – which includes 40 circular production tanks and eight tanks to recycle water and collect solid wastes, as well as a state-of-the-art water recirculation system, and the ability to control and keep water temperatures – a critical limitation to outdoor culture of shrimp – at slightly over 30°C.

“It is with disruptive technology being developed and optimized here [HGS] that aquaculture becomes one of the solutions for our deteriorating oceans. Our mantra is ‘saving the oceans and helping feed people through aquaculture.’ Ultimately, as more knowledge is gained and efficiency improved in this facility, we envision these projects locally producing shrimp sustainably year-round anywhere in the world,” said Macintosh.