Snail Farming in Nigeria is one of the most neglected and yet one of the most profitable animal rearing businesses anywhere in the country. It provides one of the finest opportunities to make good money in a very short time. But why are many Nigerian people not yet fully engaged in snail farming?

The market potential of snail farms in Nigeria and across Africa is vast, yet undervalued. Snails constitute a significant part of the diet of many regions of Africa however, they’re not always inexpensive and readily available throughout the year.

If you raise snails in commercial quantities hotels, restaurants, and fast food establishments will be your frequent customers.

In Nigeria the cost of matured and raw snails can go from N250 to N600, depending upon the amount. The annual demand for snails in Nigeria is approximately 7.5million kilograms annually.

The snail trade is booming across Europe as well as North America. In the United State America imports more than $4 million worth of snails every year from across the globe including Nigeria.

Since the beginning picking snails from the fields or the bush was the only method for snails to reach the market and to the table.

The demand for snails is much higher than the supply which indicates that the market for snail is endless, globally and locally.

The establishment of both large and small scale snail farming enterprises is the best method to fill the gaps that exist between snails and the supply of it in Africa.

The major reason is ignorance!!

Just like in many other aspects of farming in the country, Nigerians are yet to discover the great money-making potential in snail rearing business and that is why we suffer in hunger and poverty.

Snail Farming In Nigeria

The good news: If you are interested in getting into snail farming in Nigeria or Africa, After reading this article, you will be on your way to starting your own snail business in easy and simple steps and once you have a business plan you are fully equipped to get into the industry.

Brief History Of Snail

The African giant snail (Achatina achatina) has coiled shells in its adult stage. They are hermaphrodites and so, they do not require a partner to copulate. They are oviparous and can lay eggs between 10 and 30days after mating. 

Egg-laying takes place during the rainy season or when provided with the required food, which are mostly juicy vegetables, constant water, a favorable weather condition of an average of 250C to 300C, and humidity of 80%. 

The species lays about 200 to 400 eggs in one batch 2 to 3 times a year. It takes about 11 days for its egg to be hatched in the humus-rich soil.

All species of snail get matured for harvesting by the 5th to 7th months and
are actually ready for consumption or marketing. Snails could live as long as 7 to 10 years in their natural habitat.

Executive Summary

There are different table-size live snails of different breeds including Archachatina Archachatina, Achatina marginata, etc being sold to Nigeria and the international market.

Vision And Mission For The Business Idea

1. To improve the standard of living of people through the provision of the highly prolific Achatina achatina snail that does not contain fat and cholesterol.
2. To promote and encourage bilateral relations between Nigeria and other countries by way of trade.

Mission Of The Business:

• To make african meat accessible across the globe
• A desire to pressure and conserve the very highly prolific species of Achatina achatina snail for future reference, research purposes, recreational activities, and medicinal uses.

Objectives Of The Business

–    Constant growth in sales in 12 months.
–    To generate customer satisfaction so that at least 60% of our customer base is repeat business.
– product at reasonable prices with exemplary services.

Goal Of The Business

• To be a one Stop-Farm in the South East for Snail meat and its derivatives in Nigeria.
• Our Vision for the Snail Farming Business plan in Nigeria To provide exceptional Snail meat and its derivatives in Nigeria at an affordable cost.

Project Description ( Business Plan For Snail Farming In Nigeria )

Snail farming Business Idea: The business idea can be set up anywhere probably around your back yard where you have enough space to rear a snail.

Conceptualizations Of Idea:

1. It is a practicable and viable venture yet unexplored in Nigeria.
2. This technology has been approved for most lucrative farming ventures presently, as it requires far less capital investment, with much profit being generated in a considerable short period.
3. Virtually every part of snail is of vital use in food, pharmaceutical, manufacturing and fishing industries.

Feasibility Of The Study (Swot Analysis)

The SWOT analysis reveals the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the snail farming business in Nigeria.

Strengths:

The following constituted the strengths of the business: Adequate beginning up capital

Adequate start-up capital

• Low risks of production
• Accessibility to excellent types of snails
• Appeal for snails
• Good market potential
• Best location (area with fresh vegetation)
• Best weather condition
• Few competitors
• Availability of Land space

Weaknesses:

The following are my weaknesses:

• Delays with Registration (e.g., with corporate affairs commission, C.A.C)
• Local competitors (e.g., rural dwellers)
• Getting licenses and permits

Opportunities:

The opportunities include:

• If a grower begins a snail farm with say 50 snails, it can produce averagely up to 250,000 adult snails worth over #500,000 in a year.
• The risk of losing snails on the farm is very low compared to other livestock farming.
• Huge market demand for snails in Nigeria
• Lastly, snails hardly fall sick, they are hermaphrodite; you don’t have to buy food, you don’t spend much to create an abode for them, they reproduce rapidly and are very important foreign exchange income earners of our days.

Threats:

The basic threats to the business are mainly unsystematic risks including the following:

• Human interferences including vibration and pointless commotion from cars and industries around the environment
• Brutal lighting torch, lamps and sounds.
• Robbery
• Pens wetting particularly during the dry season.

The other threats that could affect the business are political and could occur when there is a change of power which may lead to a change of policies.

Step By Step How To Begin A Snail Farming Business in Nigeria.

The farming of snails is a green venture as, unlike poultry or pigs, neither snail nor its droppings stink offensively. Snails can also be raised in the backyard, and snail manure enhances the soil’s organic matter content.

1. Searching Out Suitable Snail Species For Breeding: 

The most delicious and most widely used snail species that are found in West Africa are:

Achatina Achatina is also called Giant African snail, Tiger snail

Archachatina Marginata or Big black snail, GiantAfrican

Achatina Fulica, also known as Garden snail Foolish Snail

2. Prepare Your Farmland To Be Used For Housing.

Your snail’s home must have enough space to allow your snails to roam free. In the event of overcrowding, it hinders the growth of snails and consequently should not be done.

A properly-spaced snail house lowers the risk of outbreaks of diseases due to overcrowding.

Snails are adept in escaping their homes where they live, which is why it is important to build an escape-proof housing. Pens are a good option for a home that is spacious and easily accessible, with a soil thickness of 10 inches and trees in the vicinity.

3. Create A Snail Farm Business Planning For Nigeria

To be able to properly structure your business and efficiently run it, you must be able to develop a business plan to run your snail-farming venture in Nigeria.

3. Soil: The ideal soil for snails is the sandy-loamy soil that is free of laterite and mud, which could result in a waterlogged snail habitat. The soil you choose to use should contain a variety of minerals, particularly calcium as it is a key component of snail shells.

4. Searching For A Atmospheric Direction

Snails are adept at escaping enclosures. The first step in establishing an effective farming enterprise for snails, consequently, is to create shelters that are escape-proof. There are a variety of snail houses (snailries) to pick according to the size of the project. The first step is to choose the right location. The most important factors to take into consideration when making selecting a website are:

• (Micro)climate
• Direction and speed of wind
• The characteristics of soil
• Safety (protecting the snails from disease as well as predators and poachers)

5. Buy Your Snails

If you’re planning to set up your own snail farm it is necessary to purchase the snails. After you have set up a suitable housing space and farmland to house the snails, the time is now to purchase some fresh snails at the market or from any farm. It is always recommended to inspect the snails before purchasing to ensure that they’re healthy.

When you begin with your farm of snails, it’s important to have healthy full grown snails to lay eggs and contribute to the growth of your farm. Take a look at the snail’s shell. If there’s a lip, it indicates they’re fully grown snails.

6. Feeding:

Snails feed primarily on leaves, fruits, and other greens however they are able to pick from a wide range of other types of food. It is recommended to feed them concentrate feedings specifically designed to satisfy their nutritional requirements.

7: Feeding And Rearing The Snails

Snails are a vegetarian and are fed with a wide variety of food items like cucumber, cabbage, mango and bananas, eggplant tomatoes, pear Okra, paw-paw, cassava leaves, or even lettuce. But, you could also feed snails bananas, pineapple, or the paw.

Mating and laying eggs is an essential part of snail farming. In general, mating takes place between the spring and summer. Being hermaphrodites, snails are able to fertilize one another as soon as they’re mature enough. To ensure that eggs to lay smoothly, you must utilize high-quality soil that has the right humidity and temperature.

8. Marketing:

A commercially valuable snail will mature to full maturity in just a year. It is even possible to harvest to sell after eight months if the proper feeding regimen is provided.

 A matured snail can be sold at around N500 depending on the size of the snail and the price to breed a snail from the time of hatching to maturity should not be over N150 which will yield an income of about N350 per snail, which when multiplied by the huge quantity of snails that are harvested will result in a huge profit yield to the grower.

One million snails in a year or two selling at a rate of N50 per snail (highly discounted cost) is approximately N50 million! Isn’t it a wise investment?

9. Harvesting, And Then Selling Of Snails

It’s not economically prudent to collect your snails prior to they reach maturity. They need to be mature prior to harvesting. Don’t take all the matured snails in one go to offer them on the market.

It is essential to keep a some for breeding purposes and also to be used as a the base stock in your farm snails.

Snail has a high market demand and is priced well. You can sell snails at the local market. The consumption of snail meat is rising rapidly around the world. Therefore, exporting to the international market could earn you more cash

.

How Lucrative Is Snail Farming In Nigeria?

If you’re thinking about the potential of snail farming is in Nigeria is, then be aware that an acre of the land being used for snail cultivation could generate potential profits of more than N5 million,

Cost of Starting A Snail Farming Business

The essential expenses you have be aware of if you’re contemplating how to establish an animal farm are: housing, purchasing fresh snails, food processing, handling of your snails, marketing and transport.

It is possible to start your business by investing N60,000 or N100,000. It all depends the size you would like your farm of snails to become. In addition to the amount of your investment, you can also choose to raise 1,000,000 snails that are worth over N5 million every year.

How Much You Can Earn From Snail Farming In Nigeria

This is possible due to the availability of extremely prolific Achatina snails that lay between 200-400 in a single batch, which is twice or three times per year.

If you can produce 100,000 snails which sell at N250 per snail that is N250 x 100,000, you’ll earn N2,500,000. You’ll earn about N25,000,000 annually or more if you make 1,000,000 snails.

For those who are new to the field, developing an enterprise plan for snail farming is a vital element that must be taken before beginning. This will provide you with the complete understanding of what that must be completed.

Watch How Mr. Edet Made Money From Snail Farming

https://youtu.be/I1Poxxb_he4

The Reason You Must Begin A Snail Farm Within Nigeria

They are very nutritious. Snails have been a popular delicacy with the majority of people throughout the globe. It is due to its nutritional value. It is rich in selenium, calcium, phosphorus, as well as other vital minerals and vitamins.

Low Capital Requirement: The capital required for the beginning of an agricultural business that is snail-like is extremely low, especially in comparison to other agriculture-related businesses.

Markets Available: With the population of Nigeria is estimated at around 180 million. Snails are a market that is huge and it won’t be a problem for farmers to get rid of their products.

This will show you the reasons and how lucrative snail farming can be.

Ready To Start Your Snail Farming Business In Nigeria Or Africa?

Perhaps you’ve thought of starting the first Snail Farming business in Nigeria however, you’re still working out specifics on how you can turn your dream into reality.

Conclusion

In terms of costs and time snail farming is an extremely low-risk venture. As opposed to many other livestock enterprises snail farming has minimal startup and operational costs. It is possible to set up your snail farm in within the yard of your home to avoid the purchase of farm land.

The ideal time to begin setting up with a snail farming business is during the period of rain, especially from July through October as this is when snails typically begin breeding.

Also, it is important to know that snail prices rise when there is a shortage in the months between march and december which is when it’s dry.

Originally posted 2021-09-30 05:20:17.