MARRON HATCHERY EXPANSION

Originally established in 1988, Capel Marron Farms has been given new life in 2019. With the property
currently undergoing significant redevelopment and restoration, our marron hatchery expansion project
is a definite focal point within Capel.
 
As the demand for marron both nationally and internationally heavily outweighs the current supply, it is
our intention to help bridge this gap in the market. Marron’s has an annual breeding cycle, which is an
extremely limiting factor of supply for growers.
With such a high demand for juvenile marron in the farming industry, growers can face wait times of up
to 24 months to procure the amount they require. Not only does this slow down overall supply, but it
restricts the productivity of breeding programs as the process of genetic refinement is also slowed down. 
With the expansion of our hatchery, we will be able to supply more marron year-round to our farmers,
allowing them to focus on growing out their marron as we fine-tune the breeding. The hatchery will
increase breeding frequency by 300-400%, with three to four breeding cycles being simulated in one year,
significantly increasing stock availability windows. 
 
In our commercialised and controlled environment, the overall cost of each individual animal will also
significantly decrease, allowing us to supply our farmers with affordable juveniles in this post-corona
virus climate.
Going forward, the expansion and development of our marron hatchery is a focal point of our operations,
as we believe, its benefits go well beyond our farm. 
As a social benefit to the community, it gives us the capability to supply government and recreational
fisheries with juvenile marron to be released back into the wild keeping stocks high. 


Through our ‘Contract Growers Model’ our partners can procure juveniles at a cheaper rate, with a steady
and assured supply in this post-COVID climate.
The hatchery itself becomes a center for marron research, as opportunities arise from raising marron in a
controlled and monitored environment. We believe the commercial expansion of our hatchery will allow us to
stimulate the local economy, create jobs, and support local tourism.