Meet Fikri, a shrimp farmer from Bengkalis, Riau, who began shrimp farming without any background in fisheries. His only foundation was self-learning through online platforms. Through hands-on practice in his ponds, his efforts once resulted in harvesting premium quality shrimp.
Why He Started Shrimp Farming
Fikri’s motivation for starting a shrimp farming business wasn’t primarily financial. Instead, he became curious after noticing many shrimp farmers from other regions operating in his area. After conducting his own research, he saw potential in the shrimp industry as a promising business for the future.
The complexity of shrimp farming only fueled his determination to dive deeper into the industry. Despite having no prior experience and starting with his own capital, Fikri and his team stayed motivated to learn while practicing directly in the field. He believes that this self-taught approach provided a solid foundation to start his shrimp farming journey.
Rising After Failure
As time went on, the challenges Fikri faced grew more complex. From internal issues, water management, improving shrimp quality, to increasing operational efficiency, each became a learning curve.
In his second year of farming, Fikri experienced a major setback that caused significant financial losses and impacted his team psychologically. “The most painful part was seeing some team members lose motivation. They felt they had given their best, but the results didn’t meet expectations”, he shared.
This failure became a turning point. Upon evaluation, Fikri discovered the problem stemmed from poorly maintained reservoirs, leaving behind sludge that harmed the pond ecosystem. This pushed him to strictly implement sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) before beginning the next cycle.
Through careful planning and execution, Fikri once succeeded in harvesting size 2 shrimp (20 shrimp/kg) a benchmark for premium quality. His success didn’t stop there. Fikri and his team embraced environmental responsibility by planting 2,000–5,000 mangrove trees every 6 months as part of their commitment to conservation.
Journey with JALA
Before adopting technology, Fikri managed his pond operations manually, recording feed stock, daily consumption and financials with a notebook and calculator. This method was prone to miscalculations and data loss due to lack of proper documentation.
After discovering JALA, Fikri experienced significant improvements. “All data is integrated in one place, making our work much simpler and more accurate. We can even predict the harvest timeline and potential yield”, he said.
Fikri also encouraged fellow shrimp farmers to use JALA, especially those struggling with inventory tracking and financial management. After 3 years of using JALA, both he and his peers have found it much easier to monitor shrimp farming performance through real-time dashboard graphs, gaining better transparency and operational control.
Follow Fikri’s footsteps and take your shrimp farming to the next level with JALA Pro Cycle. Simplify your farm operations in one integrated dashboard with unlimited pond capacity and receive financial reports to help you make accurate decisions. Try it now at app.jala.tech for smarter shrimp farming!
