Snail farming business is one of the most lucrative Agricultural Business. This is because managing snail is cheap, easy and anyone with the right knowledge can start and succeed without any stress.
Unlike Poultry and Pigs, snails droppings are not offensive, they are environmentally friendly and can be reared anywhere, even in the heart of the city.
According to research snail meat is high in protein (12-16%) and iron (45-50 mg/kg), low in fat, and contains almost all the amino acids needed by humans for successful
The Market Opportunity for this very important species in Africa is huge, and the return on investment can be up to 75% according to many established snail farm experts.
Table of Contents
Starting a snail farming business requires three things:
1. Passion
You need to develop a passion for the business; this passion will enable you to carry our more research on snail farming, assist you to start building a marketing network and strategies, then inspire you to develop a scalable business plan
2. Determination
Once you have the passion, be ready to work and achieve your set goals.
3. Commitment
Don’t allow anything to take your eyes off. Be totally committed to the business and give it your best in terms of investment, time and resources.
What do snails eat?
Snails eat Paw Paw leave, Cabbage, Cassava leaves, they eat Tomato, mango, eggplant, banana, oil palm, yam, sweet potato, plantain, pineapple peels, yam peels, etc
Things to Consider before starting Snail Farm Business
1. Soil Characteristics and Moisture
A soil that has a high level of calcium and water content is highly recommended for snail farming. The soil moisture content of 80% of field capacity is highly favorable for snail farming.
2. The Farming system
Your choice of the farming system whether extensive, semi-intensive and intensive snail farming will determine how you will feed your snails and the pen type you should construct.
3. The Market network
As we mentioned earlier, the market for snail is very huge, but creating and building a marketing network even before starting the business will enable you to stay on top of the game.
As a rule of thumb, we advised those interested in starting snail farming business to start creating a marketing network from day one, waiting till your snails are ready for harvest is not a good marketing strategy.
Recommended Species for culturing
The following species of snails are common Achatina achatina (Commonly called giant snail, tiger snail), Achatina fulica (commonly called garden snail, foolish snail) and Archachatina marginata (commonly called big black snail, giant African land snail) are the favorite, they are originally from western, eastern, and southern Africa and can grow up to 25cm.
For more insight, download and read this comprehensive guide by Joseph Obbinah