How to kick start your snail farming business
Snail farming, also known as heliculture, is a profitable and sustainable agricultural practice in Nigeria. If you are one of those longing to go into agriculture or looking for a viable business model, your search is over as a lucrative business model, "Snail Farming or Production" can help you raise income or allow you make extra cash as a side hustle. This business is stress free, cheap, relatively easy and not technical for one to engage on. There are some consideration to make when trying to venture into this business and some of the ideas i want to share with you will help you get started with snail farming:
Do your research work: Nowadays, people just go into businesses without doing extensive research on that particular business. Before starting a snail farm, it is important to conduct research to understand the snail farming process, market demand, and possible challenges one will encounter when doing the farming business. You can read books, attend seminars or workshops, and visit existing snail farms to gather information on new methods of snail production.
Choose a suitable location: Snails require a warm, humid, and shaded environment. Choose a location that is protected from direct sunlight and has good soil drainage. You can either build a snail house or use a natural environment such as a garden or forest. Make sure other animals, rodents, birds and others are far from the snail.
Select the right snail species: There are several species of snails suitable for farming in Nigeria, including the African giant snail, Achatina fulica, and Archachatina marginata. Choose a species that is well-suited to your farming location and market demand. Be careful when selecting the species to train. Some species can grow bigger with time while others can only add few centimeters to there size even after maturity
Set up your snail farm: Build a snail pen or enclosure that is secure and protected from predators or rodents. The enclosure should have adequate space and moisture, as well as access to food and water. Snails can be fed a variety of foods including fruits, vegetables, and grains and they need constant water supply so as not to die off.
To get good species of snail for production, you can visit your local agriculture research institute to source snail breeding stock: Purchase healthy and disease-free snails from reputable breeders. Ensure that the snails are of the appropriate size and age for breeding.
Monitor and manage your snail farm: Regularly monitor your snail farm to ensure that the snails are healthy and free from disease. Remember to allows provide adequate food and water, and maintain proper sanitation to prevent the spread of disease. Also remember to remove shells of dead snails or crack shells from the snail house pen.
A mature snail can weigh up to 1/2 kg depending on the species. Remember to seperate your snail into different sizes as during harvest as growth rate defers. Snails reach maturity at around 6-8 months, and can be harvested for sale. You can sell your snails in local markets or to processing companies, so business will export capacity can even export their snail to other countries.
Snail farming is one of the businesses that requires patience, dedication, and hard work, when one is equipped with the right knowledge and resources, it can be a profitable and sustainable venture.
