Have you ever tried longkang fishing, or catching fish in canals or drains as a child? 

If you have, you just might be familiar with the company that we’re talking about today – Qian Hu Fish Farm. 

After all, Qian Hu’s longkang fishing experience remains a core memory of many born in the 1990s.

With its beginnings as a humble fish farm in 1988, Qian Hu now looks at aquatic and pet care solutions, with a global footprint in 80 cities and countries. 

The company prides itself on its expertise in ornamental fish breeding, aquaculture and pet accessories, with a focus on innovation and technology. 

At its ornamental fish trading division, Qian Hu Fish Farm Trading, the firm farms, imports, exports and distributes fish, with direct exports to Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.  And the number of species and varieties exported – over 1,000 of them. 

The industry that Qian Hu lies in is an interesting one to talk about, given Singapore's status as one of the world's top exporters of ornamental fish. 

Despite its position, the market remains niche, with Singapore’s export value standing at about US$35 million back in 2022. 

So who are the players within the industry, and what can ornamental fish exporters like Qian Hu do to improve its output and position for further growth in land scarce Singapore? Should they also diversify beyond ornamental fish?

Speaking of which, Qian Hu had in 2017 established an aquaculture division in the Chinese province of Hainan to farm antibiotic-free edible fish. The division has since expanded to look at farming Marbled Goby and Vannamei shrimp in Singapore.

But how has the firm’s strategic expansion into aquaculture helped it position for future growth?  

On Under the Radar, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Yap Kok Cheng, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Qian Hu.