Post by Ismail AbdulAzeez on Dec 20, 2011 9:34:39 GMT 1
Snail is an edible animal that belongs to the family called mollusk which is a hermaphrodite that has both the male and female reproductive organs. This is why it is difficult to identify the sex of snail. It is of very high economic importance. Snail serves as meat to some people, but it is more than just meat. To the pharmacist, it is a source of raw material used for the production of certain drugs. Snail farming is not popular in Nigeria because the technique is always shrouded in secrecy to discourage people from the practice. But it is a lucrative business. The price of a snail ranges from N500 to N1000, yet the demand is not met.
Snail farming is a very simple practice that does not require much fund for the initial set-up. Snail only requires constant care and attention; it does not easily fall sick, feeding is not expensive as it eats rotten pawpaw, pawpaw leaves, cocoyam leaves and some other leaves that are affordable.
The construction of pens for snail farming is not expensive. One can start with clay pots, drums, containers and other forms of enclosures, but on a commercial scale, triangular shaped pen covered with net to prevent external disturbances is necessary. It must be of humid temperature, enriched with loamy soil with the provision of a circular pond of water to serve as deterrent to ants encroachment and also a source water to the farm.
Reproduction in snail is rapid and takes place during the rainy season. It is capable of producing hundreds of eggs that will hatch into snail. Two hundred snails can produce about 1,000,000 snails in one year, which is worth over N5 million and it reproduces twice a year. The highly prolific ACHATINA ACHATINA specie lays between 200 – 400 eggs in one batch, two to three times a year. These eggs hatch into snail between ten to twenty-eight days. They mature between five to eight months, with a life span of about ten years.
Raising of snail is time demanding in monitoring and protecting them from constant human and external interferences, such as toads, frogs, millipedes, nematodes, lizards, hash lightning torch and above all, it has to be protected from ants invasion as which can destroy the farm in a moment. It is also important to protect it from direct sun light and noise, while vibration should be discouraged around the snail farm. Constant wetting of snail pens is required, especially during the dry season to avoid it going into hibernation which can lead to distorted growth. Enormous heat can cause massive death to the snail, hence has to be adequately protected from all forms of heat.
The global demand for snail is on the increase due to its’ variety of uses. Its demand by the local eateries has increased tremendously as a result of the global health and physical fitness campaign discouraging from eating red-meat to avoid the risk of cholesterol level in the body system. The United States of America imports about $4million worth of snail yearly while France requires about five million kilograms of snail annually. Nigeria and other West African countries require about 7.9million kilograms of snail annually
Source: manufacturingtodaynigeria.com/index.php/agribusiness/58-agribusiness/4715-snail-farming-lucrative-business
Learn more about snail farming in Nigeria @ THE THY SNAIL & GRASSCUTTER FARMS snailriches2.tripod.com
Snail farming is a very simple practice that does not require much fund for the initial set-up. Snail only requires constant care and attention; it does not easily fall sick, feeding is not expensive as it eats rotten pawpaw, pawpaw leaves, cocoyam leaves and some other leaves that are affordable.
The construction of pens for snail farming is not expensive. One can start with clay pots, drums, containers and other forms of enclosures, but on a commercial scale, triangular shaped pen covered with net to prevent external disturbances is necessary. It must be of humid temperature, enriched with loamy soil with the provision of a circular pond of water to serve as deterrent to ants encroachment and also a source water to the farm.
Reproduction in snail is rapid and takes place during the rainy season. It is capable of producing hundreds of eggs that will hatch into snail. Two hundred snails can produce about 1,000,000 snails in one year, which is worth over N5 million and it reproduces twice a year. The highly prolific ACHATINA ACHATINA specie lays between 200 – 400 eggs in one batch, two to three times a year. These eggs hatch into snail between ten to twenty-eight days. They mature between five to eight months, with a life span of about ten years.
Raising of snail is time demanding in monitoring and protecting them from constant human and external interferences, such as toads, frogs, millipedes, nematodes, lizards, hash lightning torch and above all, it has to be protected from ants invasion as which can destroy the farm in a moment. It is also important to protect it from direct sun light and noise, while vibration should be discouraged around the snail farm. Constant wetting of snail pens is required, especially during the dry season to avoid it going into hibernation which can lead to distorted growth. Enormous heat can cause massive death to the snail, hence has to be adequately protected from all forms of heat.
The global demand for snail is on the increase due to its’ variety of uses. Its demand by the local eateries has increased tremendously as a result of the global health and physical fitness campaign discouraging from eating red-meat to avoid the risk of cholesterol level in the body system. The United States of America imports about $4million worth of snail yearly while France requires about five million kilograms of snail annually. Nigeria and other West African countries require about 7.9million kilograms of snail annually
Source: manufacturingtodaynigeria.com/index.php/agribusiness/58-agribusiness/4715-snail-farming-lucrative-business
Learn more about snail farming in Nigeria @ THE THY SNAIL & GRASSCUTTER FARMS snailriches2.tripod.com