A typical snail population.
Image source: google.
So many things we take with levity are actually the most important and cornerstones of success, ignorance is what makes us see gold as an ordinary stone.
Today, I’m going to be be giving us a full tutorial on a gold mine which we have so much ignored because we feel it has to look big before it can be it. And that gold mine is SNAIL FARMING. Please sit tight as this will be a really long journey.
Snail farming also known as heliculture is the rearing of of land snail for man’s use as food (escargot) or obtaining snail lime for cosmetics use. To everyone, snails are largely for consumption as food but recently its slime is of great demand in the cosmetic industry as it is a good skin care ingredient to treat burns.
Snail farming is one of the agricultural businesses that is pocket friendly, I mean you don’t need to get loans to embark on your snail farm. Just like every other animal, snails are largely consumed in Nigeria, and Africa.
Interestingly, in respect to the demand, millions of families around the world prepare snail meals in their various homes. Some use them ceremonially.
Another interesting thing to take note of is that West Africa is home to the largest species of land snails (Achatina species) in the world. This species is special. It can grow as long as 30 cm, its habitat is mainly in the tropical rain forest, and can chiefly be found in Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea, and a whole lot of other African countries.
So, snail farming is the process or practice of raising snails for man’s consumption as food or other purposes. Their flesh can be used as edible escargot, their slime in cosmetics, and their eggs for consumption as a type of caviar.
Snails belong to class mollusca known as Gastropoda, and it has a coiled shell that allows the animal to retract whenever it wants to.
WHY YOU SHOULD GO INTO SNAIL FARMING.
1).Low cost requirements: Like i said earlier, it is one of the few pocket friendly agricultural businesses in that it requires little or no capital to start. It is an inexpensive farm business. The cost of setting up is so low compared to other animal farming. You can get a large snail during the rainy season for as low as NGN200 and because of its long life span, it can keep reproducing.
If the life span of a snail is six to eight years, and the snail can lay up to four hundred and thirty (430) eggs a year under normal conditions, that is a total of two thousand, five hundred and eighty (2580) eggs before it finally dies.
2).Cosmetics: Snails are useful in the cosmetic industry. Different skin creams or products are made from snails, and can be used for treatment of certain skin conditions such as scars, acne, wrinkles, et al.
A typical cosmetic product(cream) from snail.
Image source: google
3).Food Consumption: Like I implied earlier, edible snails are part of regular meals in most places around the world. Different homes prepare their snails differently. A lot of countries consume snail around the world. This goes in a way to show the large potential in exports of snail outside the country. In other words, it can serve as a source of foreign exchange for any serious government.
A typical snail meal being consumed
Image source: google
BENEFITS OF SNAIL FARMING.
Not capital intensive.
Easy to handle.
It provides employment opportunities.
It can be done as part time business.
It can be done along side other farming businesses.
It requires less land for cultivation.
Snail meat is good for containing tuberculosis.
Their shell can be used for ornamental purposes.
SPECIES THAT ARE SUITABLE FOR SNAIL FARMING.
1). ACHATINA ACHATINA:
This is also known as ‘african tiger land snail’ or ’ the Africa hint snail’, this species of snail is earth breathing snail.They are largely located in west Africa,their shell can have a length of 18cm with diameter of 9cm.So they are the largest land snails. They are a good source of protein,they are also hermaphroditic (have female and male organs). This makes each snail able to lay up to 1,200 eggs in a year.
However, this species can cause serious adverse effects, in that it can act as serious pests of plants.
The Achatina achatina species.
Image source:google
ARCHACHATINA MARGINATA:
These species are mainly found in Nigeria, Cameroon, the republic of Congo, et al.
They are nocturnal forest dwellers, and do not like overcrowding. The moment they get crowded in a place, they begin to spread out.
They are referred to as giant West African Snails or Banana Rasp snails. They are also air breathing like the Achatina Achatina, and can grow up to 20 cm long and have the ability to live for up to 10 years.
Their mating habit varies with their location. This is because they are not hermaphoditic .This explains why their population growth is very slow, unlike the previous one.
They feed on plants in a very violent way, this makes them very serious pests also. In fact, it is one of the chief reasons this species is banned in the United States.
The Archachatina marginata species.
Image source:google
THERE IS ALSO THE THIRD SPECIES WHICH I WILL NOT GIVE DETAIL ABOUT, BECAUSE IT IS NOT REALLY OF INTEREST TO ME. It is the Achatina fulica species. The image is below.
Achatina fulica
Image source google.
REQUIREMENTS FOR A SNAIL FARM.
1). LOCATION AND ENVIRONMENT.
You should use an area that allows so much flow of wind because snails naturally lose water rapidly.
A place with a lot of trees, most often located downhill is the best environment for snail farming. This would help to reduce the effect of any wind coming through the snail farm.
A typical snail farming environment.
Image source:google
2). SOIL TYPE:
You can rear your snails on just any soil(not all soils are good for snail farming). You must ensure that such soil you want to rear your snails on has all it takes to make the soil suitable for the snail to survive and mature.
The soil must not be acidic, not waterlogged and must not be too dry, there should be a balance. Sandy and clayey soils are bad choices of soil respectively and therefore, must be completely eschewed. Loamy is the best choice since it does not hold too much water.
3). GETTING YOUR SNAILS:
The good news is that you can get your snails from virtually everywhere. You can get them from the bushes, forests, or any vegetative environment that is not too dry nor too wet. The market is not a good place to get them, except for consumption. This is because a large exposure to sunlight will make them highly susceptible to dehydration. Interestingly, snails drink a lot of water, and an absence of adequate or constant water supply can make them dry up easily or rapidly.
So instead of getting the snail from the market, buy their eggs and then put cocoyam leaves in a plastic container or bowl with wet sand in it, and allow them to hatch. Within the space of 21 to 28 days, the eggs would have hatched completely, then you can set up your snail farm.
4). THE SNAIL HOUSE: This will depend on the size of the farm you have in mind. It could be covered with a box if you are not going for much.
However, if it is going to be a large snail farm, a concrete pen with soil is advised, or you just dig a trench of about 10 inches deep or more , then you can use wires to cover it so as to restrict the movement of the snails to the pen.
Also, ensure you keep the snailery dark and cool. Snails prefer a dark and cool environment or habitatps://steemitimages.com/DQmcV9GssejofcQy2meBStZMpimRyR3qAhF7EjK5dCEzs4N/harvesting-snails.jpg)
A snail farmer harvesting snails.
Image source:google
A FEASIBILITY STUDY ON SNAIL FARMING.
If you get a snail for NGN200, and it reproduces up to eighty-six (86) eggs in a month, after the hatchery and growth process, it can be sold a higher price especially during dry seasons when they are scarce in the bush. Even if you still choose to sell it at NGN200, you are going to make NGN17,200 for eighty-six eggs whereas, under warm and high humidity weather conditions, a snail can reproduce up to three hundred (300) eggs which will earn you an estimated return of NGN60,000.
A smart snail farmer will not buy just a snail, he will buy up to eight or more snails for the same NGN200 each and reproduce a minimum of six hundred and eighty-eight (688) eggs, you earn NGN137,600.
And if you are a very smart lucky farmer, you will buy up to fifteen snails for NGN200 which will cost just NGN3000 in total, if they all reproduce an approximated minimum number of eighty-six each, they will reproduce a total of one thousand, two hundred and ninety (1290) eggs, you will earn… … … … WOW! You’re already fortunate
HOW TO SELL YOUR SNAIL.
A typical snail farm.
Image source:google.
You can sell your snails at hotels, to market women, at restaurants, et al. It can also be sold as exports to other countries. It is advisable you sell your snails at wholesale prices to increase your chances of making faster sales.
CONCLUSION.
If snail farming can make you up to NGN255,000 from just fifteen snails, why should you see the road to fortune and walk along the bush? If these snails keep reproducing for at least six times in a year, that is a total of seven thousand, six hundred and fifty (7650) eggs in a year from just fifteen snails, that is, you’ll be earning up to… … … … NGN1,530,000.
The demand for snail is high, but the supply is low, since we have less snail farmers which is why people should go into snail farming. Unlike other animal farming, it easy to set up a snail farm and the probability of loss is very low, hence, you stand to to gain a lot.
Reference 1: www.snailworld.com
Reference 2: www.snailstarter.com
Reference 3:
http://startuptipsdaily.com/snailfarming
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ANTICIPATE tutorials on piggery and rabbit farming respectively.
Thanks