SNAIL FARMING-(HELICULTURE)

SNAIL FARMING-(HELICULTURE)
I have been trying to lead our Kenyan farmers into unexploited ventures.Snake farming seemed to be a put off and only meant for a selected few.Today my write up will be about snail farming.I know that this a novel venture in Kenya with the exception of one Rosemary Odinga daughter to the former prime minister Raila Odinga who is the only snail farmer in Kenya due to the strict requirements by KWS.Snails are edible in some parts of the world such as Nigeria,Ghana,Ivory coast,France,U.S.A ,China and Japan and their meat is rich in protein and minerals such as iron and phosphorous and they are lower in cholesterol.
Snails are considered pests in East
Africa since they aren't a delicacy.Apart from being food for humans their slime(the slippery substance they secrete) is used for cosmetic purposes and also for medicinal purposes.
Snails are generally hermaphrodites(have two genital organs male and female )but needs another snail of the same species inorder to mate.They can act as male in one season and female in another season.They store sperms for upto one year and can lay eggs twice a year with upto 100-300 laid at once.The giant species mature after 1-2 years.
Now there are different types of snails namely land snails,fresh water snails(causes bilharzia) and sea snail.The snails used for human consumption is the African giant snail.
There are 3 species of giant snails namely:East African giant snail,West African giant snail and African giant snail(the largest in the world).
Snail farming has an easy start up and requires low capital.The profits are also huge and its not labour intensive. Snails can either be reared free range or under intensive systems(in green houses).The enemies of snails are wind,sun,predators and dry or very wet soil.
The requirements for snail farming include:
1.)location-A snail farm should be set in a place free from wind and heat from the sun since their body is very delicate and wind and sun would dry up their body.
2.)Soil type-Snails require well hydrated soils such as loam soil and not clay or sand soil.They require soil for hatching their eggs and also hiding incase of heat from the sun.They also obtain minerals such as calcium from the soil used to make their shell.
3.)Food-Snails are generally herbivores and feed mainly on plant matters and fungi.They can be fed on fruits and vegetable remains and also leaves of plants.They require daily feeding.
4.)Housing-They can be housed on open fields whereby trenches are dug and covered with wire or screens or they can be kept in green houses.
5.)pests-Natural enemies to the snails include:termite
s,rats,snakes,beetles and birds including chicken and geese so the housing should be well secured and fenced.
6.)Source of snails-The snails for breeding can be sourced from breeders as eggs or snails can be collected from the forests or you can attract them by placing vegetable matter in your yard.
In Kenya the populace hasn't yet gotten into a culture of eating snails but there is a huge market for them especially high end restaurants and expatriates who already know the taste of snail meat.Snail farming is advantageous than poultry or fish farming since initial capital is low and profit margins high.Labour requirement and pollution is at minimum and even cost of feeds are low as compared to other ventures.If we open our eyes wide we can make good profits.Let no one tell you that this is a scam.Nigerians in this page will agree with me that snail farming is a well paying venture.
Take the first step and research about this business.If it pleases you then go for it.Currently 800gms of snail meat goes for 25$(2500kshs.)
BY Okuta Ngura®