Investing in small-scale snail farming business

The demand for snail meat cannot be over-emphasised.  It is consumed all over the world.  It is a popular meat of many Nigerians and non-Nigerians.  It is served in many restaurants in the cities. The implication of this is that local and export markets abound for snail meat.

Snail meat is highly nutritious.  It is high in protein and iron, low in fat and cholesterol and contains almost all the amino acids needed by human beings.  Not only this, it has some medicinal properties which are useful in the control and cure of hypertension, asthma and anaemia.

If well attended to, snail farming can be an important source of income for the practitioners.  The land requirement for snail farming is small. It can be reared at the backyard with small amount of money to start with.  The feeds are very cheap and are readily available.  Snails feed on leaves of cassava, mango, pawpaw including their fruits. Management of a snail farm is simple.  It can be managed by the young, the old and even the disabled.

Snails are harmless and are sources of additional income to the family.   Snail farming is very profitable and can bring back the invested fund within 18 months.  In view of the above, snail  farming is strongly recommended for all.

Technical information

There are about five species of snails that can be grown in Nigeria.  The type of specie that can be grown in one area depends on the preference in that particular area.  One needs to select the species that has both local and international market.  Breeding can take place  any time of the year under the intensive management system.  Intensive management is the subject of this write-up.  Under intensive management, snails are kept in specially prepared cages called Hitch boxes.  It is inside the cages that they are fed, bred and hatch their eggs.  Snails mature within 15 months of hatching.

Marketing

In Nigeria live snails are sold in urban and rural markets and along inter-city roads.  Fried snail meat is now sold at restaurants and at toll gates by hawkers. Some companies and farms have started selling processed snail meat in packages of ½ kg, 1kg and 2kg.

There is a growing international market for snails.  Some Nigerians now export live and processed snails to U.S.A, Britain, and other European countries.

Live snails are better transported in baskets, jute bags and aerated crates.  The crates may be partitioned into layers and compartments.  Live snails should not be transported in air-tight containers.

Financial information

To establish a 24 snail breeder farm a sum of N900,000 will be required broken down as follows:

N

1Pre-Investments100,000

2.Housing including cages 500,000

3 Provision for feed & Labour   00,000

Total N900,000

A Snail breeder can produce up to 1000 in a year.  For 24 breeders we are talking of 24,000.  Matured Snail sells at farm gate price of  N400.  A turnover of over N9 million is achievable from this obscure investment opening. Genuine and serious minded investors can be assisted in terms of procurement of cages, breeding stock and other technicalities by the author.

Author’s contact:  08023058045, 

 olumakindeoni@yahoo.com.