Snail farming in Nigeria is one of the most profitable agricultural business ventures that are available for both young and old people. It is very viable business that is not yet fully explored in Nigeria in particular and the rest of Africa in general.

Most Nigerians do not choose snail farming as their first option, when thinking of profitable agribusinesses to venture into. But this post will hopefully open many eyes to the huge, hidden wealth that can be amassed via snail farming.

Why You Should Go Into Snail Farming

The demand for giant African snails in Nigeria and throughout Africa is huge but largely untapped. Snails are a delicious and nutritious form of diet in many African countries, even though they are not really affordable and readily available round the year. If you commercially rear snails, you will stand a chance to get restaurants, fast food joints, hotels, and eateries to become your regular customers.

The demand for snails worldwide is enjoying an upward trend. North America and Europe are some of the places with flourishing snail trading. For example, each year, the USA imports about $5 million worth of snails from many countries around the world, including Nigeria.

For centuries, Nigerian families and local markets have depended on snails picked in the wild. But that approach cannot sustain the ever-increasing demand. As it stands, the demand for snails hugely surpasses that of the supplies. That clearly indicates that the opportunities are limitless, both for local and international markets. Thankfully, some farmers are starting, but slowly, to consider snail farming as a viable business. Matter-of-factly, commercial snail farming is the only way to fill up the vacuum between the demand and supply of the delicious molluscs in Nigeria.

Snail slime is on high demand worldwide. Cosmetics and pharmaceutical companies throughout the world use snail slime for manufacturing a wide range of products. Tapping into snail slime production is another way you can make extra income on your farm.

Step-by-Step Guide on How to Start a Profitable Snail Farm in Nigeria

Here I will guide you on the seven fundamental steps you need to follow, to start a lucrative snail farming business in Nigeria.

Create a business plan

I advise every aspiring farmer to create a snail farming business plan, because it is an essential first step that you need to be equipped with before starting. Having a plan in place would give you a sound knowledge of everything that needs to be done.

Choose the particular species of snails to breed

There are two major species of giant African snails that are reared in West Africa, namely Achatina achatina and Archachatina marginata. Achatina achatina is the species mostly bred in Ghana. This is because they perform well in Ghanaian cold weather. Archachatina marginata performs better in warmer climate, which Nigeria has in abundance. That is why most Ghanaian farmers breed Achatina achatina, while most Nigerian farmers rear Archachatina marginata ovum. Actually, both Achatina achatina and Archachatina marginata ovum can be reared in Nigeria. Just know that Achatina achatina’s eggs survive more in Ghana than in Nigerian weather. When starting your snail farm for the first time, it recommended to go with one species. You can add the other species as time goes on.

Build your snail pens and/or greenhouses

Before you bring in snails for rearing, you should first build housing for them. You can opt for greenhouses that enable snails to move about freely and graze within the semi-intensive setting, in which you have planted some of the most important plants they feed on. Another available option is to build pens that would enable you to have more control in an intensive setting. You can even decide to build both pens and greenhouses at the same time, if you have the funds.

Regardless of the type of snailery you choose, it is imperative to note that snails don’t like overcrowding. Spacious housing allows snails to be well-spaced from each other, and avoid the risk of disease outbreak. A snail housing should be well ventilated and escape-proof.

Buy your breeding stock

After building pens and/or greenhouses and have the feeds readily available, the next step is to purchase snail breeding stock from a reliable breeder. I recommend buying from breeders, instead of markets because the ones on the market may have been overstressed, underfed and even unhealthy. However, some experienced snail breeders do buy from the market, because they know how to professionally examine the molluscs.

When starting a farm as a beginner, it is recommended to buy point-of-lay snails, instead of snail eggs or young ones. Point-of-lay snails are the fully-grown snails that are about to start laying eggs. Most likely, you would start getting eggs on the same day you make your purchase.

Feeding your snails

Snails are avid vegetarians and herbivores that feed on a wide range of food, including, but not limited to lettuce, eggplant, pawpaw, cocoyam, banana, cucumber, tomatoes, cabbage, pineapple, elephant grass, and okra leaves.

Managing mating and laying of eggs

Snails are hermaphrodites, which means that each snail has both male and female reproductive organs. In the wild, mating typically takes place during the spring and summer seasons of the year.

The type of soil that is suitable for snail breeding is the sandy-loamy soil, because of its high organic matter content. Sandy-loamy soil has the right temperature and humidity that are very suitable for snails to lay their eggs.

Harvesting and marketing your snails

It is important to allow your snails to reach maturity before harvesting and selling them. As a rule, do not harvest all your mature snails and sell off at once. Remember to keep some behind to continue the breeding cycle.

Due to the fact that the demand for snails is ever-increasing globally, there is always ready market waiting for you. If you choose to, you can go to the local markets close to you to sell your products. As you sell your snails locally, start exploring the prospect of breaking into the international market, because that is where more profit lies.

The Cost of Starting a Snail Farming Business in Nigeria

The mandatory expenses you can’t avoid, while setting up a snail farm are:

• The cost of building adequate housing
• The costs of purchasing fresh, point-of-lay snails
• Feeding and other operating cost
• Snail processing cost
• Transportation cost

You can actually start snail farming with any amount of money. There is no strict rule. It all depends of how big or how small you want it to be and the funds that are available to you.

Conclusion
When you consider the time investment in snail farming and its operating cost, everybody agrees that it is a low-risk business. The startup capital and the operating cost are generally smaller than other forms of animal husbandry. Matter-of-factly, you can actually start a small-scale snail farm at your backyard, and circumvent the cost of purchasing a farmland.

If you decide to pick breeding stock from the bush, then the best time of the year to start a snail farming business is during the rainy season. That should be from July to October, because that is the natural time snails generally start to breed. Also, it is important to note that snail prices multiply during the dry season. Between December and March is the period of snail scarcity. So, target availability and scarcity well.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.