Augustine Aminu with agency reports
Reading this article on snail farming business will easily inform and position you to the many employment opportunities that abound in livestock farming.
These opportunities if Nigerians can tap into it would reduce the pressure and rate of unemployment in many homes today and make them wealthy if they consider taking the plunge.
However, snail farming is one of those fields of agriculture that if one ventures in it you would not have any cause to regret. Many countries of the world benefit much from snail farming business.
According to animal farm consultant, Prince Onebunne, Snail is still in short supply in Nigeria today going by the recent preliminary market analysis suggesting that an additional 25,000 tons, or a 100 per cent increase can easily be absorbed, he said. He said, there is enough evidence that snail breeding is a profitable business in the country.”
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Onebunne said snail production is a lot of fun with much to learn everyday and farmers raise snail for many reasons. So, some farmers are into snail breeders farming, point of lay snail production, while others are raising snail for table.”
“Snail producers traditionally sell or market their snail to food processing plants, cold rooms, local markets, top class hotels, healthy food shops, restaurants or sales to local residents.
“Nigeria alone is targeting about two-metric tons of snail production annually not only for domestic market but also for international trade. A snail farmer does not have to invest from breeders-point of lay to table size snail farming. An investor can specialise just on a segment of the snailery trade. Obviously, there are variations of the marketing schemes and strategies, but these are the main outlets.
Snail farming is one of the most sought-after type of farming in Nigeria alongside maize farming, poultry farming and fish farming. This is because it is not capital intensive, doesn’t require a large piece of land; just adequate knowledge and time. The rearing of snails for human consumption or economic use is called Heliculture.
Snail farming has also been found to be a profitable venture and a viable source of job opportunities for youths by the government. Recently, the Lagos State Government organised training for youths on snail farming. The Ekiti State Government also unveiled a snail farm worth 5 billion Naira in 2021, it is said to be the second-largest snail farm in the world, providing over 5,000 jobs.
According to experts in the snail farming sector, the industry is worth $12,000,000,000 and has a consumption of about 450,000 tons annually. The annual demand for snails in Nigeria has been pegged to be at about 7.5 million kg per year and the price of a medium-sized snail is about ₦250 – ₦600 depending on the size.
