A bright new dawn at Apollo Fish Farm

Welcome to Apollo Aquaculture Group (AAG)

Originally a company that specialised in the breeding of ornamental fish, Apollo Aquaculture Group has been making waves in the realm of seafood and local aquaculture, with the establishment of its first vertical farm in 2015.

The group’s founders — the Ng Family — have come a long way from their humble origins in the ornamental fish industry since 1969. Helmed by 2nd generation owner Mr Eric Ng, AAG has since brought the company to new heights. AAG utilises cutting-edge technology that allows marine food fish to be farmed on land, and has plans to produce up to 2,700 tonnes of fish a year.

Miraculous marine technology

Senior Director Mr Lucky Phua and Head of Marketing Mr Crono Lee share insights into the nuances of fish farming.

Farming fish on land

“Moving from ornamental fish to seafood in 2012 was quite a natural evolution for the business,” Lucky shares.

The company already had a head start in the form of hardware when it transitioned to rearing edible fish. AAG’s full Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) allows fish to be reared in tanks on land, instead of in floating cages out at sea.

A fish by any other name

One of the biggest challenges of fish farming comes in the sheer variety of marine life, and the demands that each species of fish require.

“You can have a brown pig or a black pig, but it’s still a pig in terms of DNA,” Lucky muses. “But when it comes to fish, a salmon is completely different from a grouper. Every species behaves differently — That’s the challenge of fish farming.”

Despite the challenges, AAG has managed to produce a whole variety of seafood, including hybrid grouper, coral trout, white shrimp and blue shrimp.

Mahjong metaphors

Just like human beings, environmental factors like humidity and temperature can play a part in keeping a fish happy, healthy and stress-free. A Recirculating Aquaculture System allows Apollo to control these elements.

“Imagine you’re playing mahjong in an air-conditioned room,” Lucky explains. “You’ll be quite happy. Imagine playing mahjong in a hot, humid room…you’re going to get angry really quickly! It’s exactly the same for fish when it comes to water.”

No fishy business

AAG prides itself on growing its catch of fish with particular attention given to their feed. “We cater very special nutrients for our fish,” Lucky shares. “For example, we use cod liver oil in some of the nutrients — You are what you eat, and the same holds true for fish.”

Fascinating Farm Facts

Farming is a fascinating profession. Here are some fun factoids to chew on!

AAG’s RAS system can produce up to 150 kilograms of grouper per tonne of water, as compared to sea cage farming, which produces 25 to 75 kilograms.

Fish need exercise as well — having a proper current in the containers instead of stagnant water allows the fish to grow better.

Apollo’s new eight-storey farm — slated to be completed in 2023 — will produce up to 2,700 tonnes of fish a year.

Feast for SG’s food security

Eat local and do your part to support our local farming community.

Eager to taste Apollo’s fresh bounty for yourself? You’ll be able to buy their produce — including coral trout, hybrid grouper, white shrimp and blue shrimp — from selected NTUC FairPrice outlets, GrabMart, Shopee and ShopBack.

Alternatively, check out their website, or drop by the retail store at their Seletar Farm.

Keep an eye out for the SG Fresh Produce logo to sample produce proudly grown and harvested on Singaporean soil.

Lucky Phua

Senior Director, Apollo Aquaculture Group (AAG)

Coupling his vast experience with a lifelong passion for farming.

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APOLLO AQUACULTURE GROUP