Nippon Koi Farm is is just down the road from Qian Hu Fish Farm. While you may think that is purely an ornamental fish farm, Nippon Koi Farm has been evolving into one that also supposes the sustainable agriculture landscape in Singapore – and you even try some unique products while visiting the farm!
Nippon Koi Farm: More than Ornamental Fish
Nippon Koi Farm traces it roots back to Sembawang where the Pay family had a farm that grew vegetables and also reared livestock. During the 1970s, it went on to breeding guppies and even established a frog farm.
In 1983, the family began to breed koi in the mid 1980s, eventually registering the name Nippon Koi Farm in 1990. In 1995, the farm was established in Chua Chu Kang, officially starting the Nippon Koi Farm. The 2010s saw it enter into farming fish for food and even prawns and developing aquaponics capability in 2020.
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As you can see, even though Nippon Koi Farm, the farm does more than breed ornamental fish.
Visiting the Farm
When paying a visit to Nippon Koi Farm, there are several areas that you can visit on your own.
Koi Fish Facilities
The koi ponds are the most obvious place to start your visit. You can take a walk amongst the koi fish facility and look into the ponds.
Do take note to watch your step and supervise children and make sure that they do not play and run. The ponds are 1.1 metres deep and you would not want to fall into them.
There is also a gacaphon machine that sells fish feed.
In addition to the publicly accessible koi pond, there is also a koi hotel. However, this is not open to the public.
Food Fish Alley
Enter in via the “Food Gate” and you will find the ponds where fish and prawns are being been bred as food. There are ponds on either side of the walkway.
This is where you can purchase freshly caught seafood. For example, there are live sea water prawns available by the kilogram.
Aquaponics
Nippon Koi Farm has also been grown vegetables using aquaponics. There is a booth where you can view their fully automated, carbon-neutral Nippon SG Aquaponic system, which integrates fish and vegetable production on a large scale.
While the public who just walk-in to the farm cannot view the actual vegetable growing areas, you can purchase the greens to take home with you.
Amongst the vegetables that are grown at Nippon Koi Farm include Japanese Kailan, Naibai and Brazilian Spinach.
Brazilian Spinach Ice Cream
One of the unusual products that showcase the aquaponics vegetables at Nippon Koi Farm is Spinach Ice Cream. This is made with farmed fresh spinach, white granulated sugar, refined vegetable oil, whole milk powder, food grade salt, food essence and water.
Available at $3 for an individual sized cup, the Spinach Ice Cream is one way to get your kids to eat their greens!
Farm Tours at Nippon Koi Farm
Perhaps the best way to experience a visit to Nippon Koi Farm is on one of their farm tours.
These tours are especially popular with preschools, primary and secondary schools for their learning journeys. There are specially tailored programmes for preschools as well as programmes for up to secondary schools. The farm tours include a look around the farm facilities tour, the koi hotels, learning about imports & exports, high density farming with different types of fishes and can even include workshops. They also include a chance to savour the aquaponic spinach ice cream!
You can also email Nippon Koi Farm to customise a farm tour programme to your needs.
Where is Nippon Koi Farm
Nippon Koi Farm is located a short distance away from Qian Hu Fish Farm.
Where: 51 Jalan Lekar, Singapore 698946
Website: Nippon Koi Farm
