Dallas, Texas, U.S.A.-based NaturalShrimp reported it its Texas facility suffered a fire on 3 July, 2022 that damaged its water-treatment plant.
The fire, which started at an external source, damaged the filtration equipment within the building, the company reported in a shareholder update.
The fire is the second NaturalShrimp has experienced in less than three years, with the first in March 2020 causing a total loss of the company’s La Coste, Texas-based production facility. This time, according to the company, the fire caused no damage to the main production building containing its shrimp.
“The company immediately engaged its emergency response team (ERT) comprised of management, engineering, production, and sales personnel organized to quickly respond and deal with potential situations such as this,” NaturalShrimp CEO Gerald Easterling wrote in his shareholder update. “Fortunately, the company has the necessary backup equipment to replace the damaged drum filters and EC equipment which will allow continued production and sales in Texas.”
In another update, the company said it has successfully applied its hydrenesis technology to Hanilu Farms, a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) facility in Cutler, Indiana, U.S.A., growing barramundi. According to NaturalShrimp, Hanilu’s facility has 34 tanks producing more than 900 kilograms of live fish per week.
The hydrenesis technology improves water quality, NaturalShrimp said. In addition to the trials at Hanilu, the company said it has also done studies on how its “Hydrogas” and electrocoagulation technology can be applied to raising salmon in an RAS. The study, performed at the Marineholmen RAS Lab in Norway, indicates NaturalShrimp may have opportunity in salmon and finfish production, the company said.
“Our success with our early aquaculture partner Hanilu Farms using Hydrogas technology supports the significant potential for commercial licensing of the technology as an additional revenue stream,” Easterling said. “The ability to increase health and survival rates in commercial facilities opens our opportunity to additional worldwide seafood markets, including salmon, barramundi, and other freshwater fish.”
NaturalShrimp said it is now harvesting and selling live shrimp out of Texas. The company expects to reach weekly production of 6,000 pounds out of its Texas facility and 18,000 pounds out of its Iowa facility beginning in the first and second quarter of 2023, a total that will increase to 12,000 pounds and 36,000 pounds following expansions.
NaturalShrimp added it expects to reach USD 1 million (EUR 977,000) in cumulative sales by the end of 2022.
“Looking ahead at the second half of 2022, we will continue to focus on the commercialization and ramp up of our farm-to-table sushi-grade shrimp and fresh seafood,” Easterling said.
Photo courtesy of NaturalShrimp
