Snail Farming in Nigeria: How to Start Snail Farming Business

If you’re looking to start snail farming business in Nigeria, then you’re on the right page. Here, you’ll learn the basics of the snail farming business.

“Snails? Snail farming? How are we going to live with snails all over our backyard?,” exclaimed Halimat as her husband explained that he wanted to venture into snail farming.

Just the thought of snails makes some people shudder and feel nausea. To some others, the thought alone is enough to make them drool over the imaginary pot of soup they could make from it but very little people think of it as a business venture.

This article intends to be an eye opener to you in that regard so that the next time you see or hear of snails, you will begin to see the business opportunities that lies therein.

Overview

Snail farming, or heliculture as it is popularly called, is the domestication of snails. In simpler terms, helicuture is the rearing of snails at home-like we do chicken or rabbits- for food and profit. This farming of snails even though not as popular as chicken and fish farming is almost as lucrative, if not more lucrative since snails are heavily consumed both locally and internationally.

In contrast to the high cost involved in starting a fish farm or keeping poultry, snail farming is less capital demanding thus it may be a very good first venture for the novice entrepreneur.

Why snail farming is a lucrative business

As more people suffer from lifestyle diseases and disorders like diabetes, hypertension and heart diseases, the general populace is becoming concerned about the food they eat. People are generally desisting from high cholesterol meats and are finding alternatives in sea foods and snails.

According to an article by punch newspaper published on the 19th of March 2014, “Snail is still in short supply in Nigeria. Preliminary market analysis suggests that an additional 25,000 tons, or a 100 per cent increase, can easily be absorbed”.

That is more than enough evidence to show that there is a market for snail farmers in Nigeria.

Internationally, the snail market is very hard to approximate but an estimate of about 450,000-500,000 tons of snail is being produced annually and are all absorbed in various markets across Europe with the largest markets in France, Italy and Spain.

So, the demand for snail is here to stay and the market is large enough to offer budding entrepreneurs a chance!

What do you need to start snail farming in Nigeria

Now that we have seen that there is an abundance of demand for snails in Nigeria and abroad, you may be curious as to what it takes to start snail farming.

  1. After acquiring your land/space for your farm, you also have to know where to get your snails from. A farm isn’t a snail farm without the snails. Experts recommend the ‘highly prolific ACHATINA ACHATINA species of snails’ for commercial production. You may source for your snails from the wild or by purchasing the eggs or young ones.
  2. As the name suggests, snail farming is a form of farming. Therefore, it is paramount to find land space for your farm. It is important to note here that snails are reared only on sand. They can’t be reared on concrete or wood. The best type of sand is those that have low water retaining properties. The sand should be moist but not wet.
  3. Since snails are living-breathing things, they require food to stay alive. Normally, a snail will feed on anything that is bio-degradable. This means snails will eat vegetables, fruits, leaves and even tubers. It is highly recommended that you provide your snail with calcium-rich foods that will enable them to produce shells.

Other requirements which may not be as fundamental as the ones listed above include:

  • Knowledge: investing for a more in-depth knowledge of snails and their farming may benefit you. You will be prepared to foresee and comprehend problems that may arise and other intricacies of rearing snails for profits.
  • Time and Attention: though snails are more sickness-proof than poultry, you time and attention is still needed for observing the farm for pests and noticing the snail movement so they don’t crawl out of the boundary of your farm
  • Market: before you begin your snail farm, you may need to take some time to investigate the market for snails in your state. If you live in states where snails are not popular then you will want to liaise with restaurants and market women in a different state where snails are enjoyed.

How much do you need to start a snail farm?

Snail farming is not as capital intensive as other forms of farming. Due to the ‘crawling nature’ of snails, a snail farm needs not to be elaborate, hence; it can be built from material you have around your house.

It is noteworthy that the capital you will need to begin the venture will be determined mostly by the scale at which you want to operate; whether a small scale, medium scale or large scale farm. Nevertheless, some noteworthy questions are:

  1. Do have the materials needed to build the farm or am I going to buy them
  2. Do I have a land on which I will operate my snail farm?
  3. What will it cost me to stock my farm?
  4. How much will it cost me to run the farm till the snails are ready for harvesting?

That being said, with a hundred thousand naira (N100,000) only, you can begin a medium scale snail farm that could gross in five times your initial investment.

Risks and threats

Snails are survivors. They survive in the wild so they are most likely going to survive in the farm. However, snails are threatened by ants, carnivorous birds and termites.

Snails are also affected by  dry and acidic surfaces. It is imperative therefore to keep the soil moist and alkaline at all times.

Snail farms are always being attacked by petty thieves especially when the snails are almost ready for harvests. So be on the look-out!

Other interesting facts

  • Snails are hermaprodites. Each snail can and will reproduce on its own without mating.
  • Snail farming is really lucrative as a single snail can produce up to 300 eggs three times a year
  • If you are serious about going into snail farming, the CBN agricultural development efforts can help you afford capital easily

If I had a single sentence to summarize this post I’ll say: snail farming is still young in Nigeria and it is waiting for young entrepreneurial minds to take it to another level. What are you waiting for?

Want to know more? Leave your questions in the comment and I will get back to you with some answers.

31 thoughts on “Snail Farming in Nigeria: How to Start Snail Farming Business”

  1. i will be interested in the loan cos i av already started the snail farming already so i need support and the species i got are not that good they av slow growth performance thanks Tell: (09039454515)

  2. Great job, I am interested and will really want to partner with whosoever that can link me to where I can get good species, how to set up the structure, how to safeguard them and how to get to the market.

  3. thanks for this wonderful piece on snail farming in Nigeria. I statred snail farming at the back of my house and I have the intention of expanding in the nearest future. I have learnt a great deal on your peice and I was wondering if you can shade more light on the snail diseases especially as it concerns hole on the shell of the snails, reproduction problems and egg problems. finally can you assist me on the link to assessing the CBN loan assistance to farmers. Thanking you in advance for your reply. Dr Nena Emmanuel

  4. Good morning sir, nice and educative write up there sir. Am still a student and i think going into this kind of business would be of a great benefit but Pls I would love to know more about what kind of snails I should rear, how to get them, when to harvest them and pls can I keep them in an old iron tank with moist sand in it? Looking forward to your response sir, thank you.

  5. Ihave a farm land already but l want to start a snail farm please l want you to enlighten me and how the CBN can help me and were l can get to buy snails for rearing

  6. i will really appreciate to have a practical knowledge with an existing snail farmer on the source of food to be fed to the snails.
    though, i m not gonna be a full time farmer for now coz i’m presently on a pay employment,but with time i wanna concentrate and invest big.
    finally, i ll be interested in the CBN support programme as well.
    your response will serve as motivation.

  7. Excellent article and well presented too. It’s hightime we started shifting focus more to agriculture as it has huge potentials to provide sustenace for many households in Nigeria. Snail farming is a very likeable component of this paradigm shift. It’s easy to start, you don’t need huge capital, and the expertise rewuired is fairly easy to acquire. Add the significant profitability to that too. What’s not to like?
    Well done once again.

  8. Please I need to know the states in Nigeria where snail’s meat is up high demand… I’m a graduate of animal Science from Federal University of agriculture, Abeokuta and I intend to go into it, fully

  9. I wish to appreciate u for this wonderful write-up. pls i hv interest in snail farming but i need to know more on how,What, and other necessary requirements to ensure a successful farming.Thanks

  10. Good day and thank you for this post. Pls i reside in Kaduna, i will like to know if having a farm here will be lucrative considering the fact that i’m just about to start on a medium scale. Thanks

  11. thanks, I am in small scale snail farming at the back of my house. but I wish to make it bigger. I am in Sierra Leone west Africa and our climatic condition is as good as Nigeria. please in form me more about this snail business. e.g food,care, time to harvest etc.
    regards.

  12. This is a good write-up to encourage Nigerians to go into the most lucrative agric business and eliminate malnutrition in Nigeria. Keep it up brother.God bless you.

  13. Gud evening, and thanks for this post. I’m interested in snail farming n would like to start with 300.
    How do I get my snails Pls ?
    A contact number would be appreciated, so I can also ask questions as regards the biznex.thanks
    Hope to hear from you soonest.

  14. it’s nice to write on this wall my experience in snail farming, I started small two months ago with four forest snails nd I ‘ve over 61 juveniles from one of the pen, hopefully I ‘ll ‘ve triple that amount by end of this month, I’m using old tyres and mosquito net to house them, it’s nice to watch them at night when i visit to feed them. I wish I could join any snail farmers forum or social community so to gain other experiences, if any please keep me updated.thanks

  15. Thanks a millions for being so on point and straight forward. Nice one,

    Can you help with any info as to where to get enough snails to start a medium scale farm.
    Many thanks once more.

  16. Thank you sir.your post on snail came at the very right time. I am a poultry and fish farmer. I suddenly developed interest in snail farming and will be very happy, if you can guide or facilitate the CBN loan to help me start big. I have decided to quit poultry and fish farming for now.

    • Lucky,
      Your startup capital would determine how big or small you intend to start.
      You do not need a plot of land as stated in the post.
      I advice you start small and when you fully understand what it takes, then you can gradually expand.

  17. thanks alot,this post of yours is very educative,as a rerult i am very much interested in this farming system,but firstly how can CBN rendre an assistance to someone like me who is a common SSCE holder? i have been trying to rear goat for long but i an not finicially ok,last three years i trained fish,all my fish were been carried away by a reriouse high tied.i will appreciate if only u can educate my on how to connet with CBN.

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