Way to Start A Profitable Snail Farming in Nigeria in 2024

Filed in Articles by on February 12, 2024

Snail farming in Nigeria is a lucrative business but many do not know how to start this business. Have you ever wondered what it is like to start your snail farm? Snail Farming in Nigeria has a very strong role to play in the economy.

Snail Farming in Nigeria

In this discourse, we have made available the factors and costs that you need to know about starting Snail Farming in Nigeria.

Snail farming in Nigeria is one of the most lucrative agricultural business ideas for young entrepreneurs in Nigeria.

It is a practical and viable business venture that is yet to be fully explored in Nigeria and the rest of Africa.

Snail farming may not be the first thing that jumps to mind when thinking of profitable businesses to start in Nigeria.

This post will open your eyes to the amount of hidden wealth that can be realized by starting a snail farming business in Nigeria.

Factors to Consider in Snail Farming

The following factors should be considered when choosing a site for snail farming:

1. Soil Type

One of the factors you have to consider before embarking on snail farming is Soil, Soil plays a major role in snail’s housing.

Soil Composition, water content, and texture are important factors you have to consider in selecting a site.

The snail’s shell is made up of calcium which is derived from the soil and the feed.

Snails also derive their water requirements mostly from the soil. Snails lay their eggs by digging the soil and resting during the dry season.

Because of all these factors, it is crucial that the soil is loose and that its calcium and water content is high.

Clay soil cannot be used because it becomes waterlogged in the rainy season and compacts during the dry season while also sandy soil is not advisable because of its low water holding capacity.

The most desirable soil for snail farming is soil with high organic matter that can support the growth and development of the snails.

This can be determined by checking the soil if it is a good growth of coco-yam, tomatoes, and leafy vegetables.

2. Pests and Diseases

Termites, lizards, snakes, ants, chickens, geese, and turkeys are the common enemies of snails and should be perverted by all means.

There are not many diseases identified in snails but fungus and bacterial diseases that are spread by contact have been noticed in overcrowded pens.

In this dry season, it will be ideal to irrigate the snail farm regularly, or else the snail will hibernate.

If there is a drought, snails can hibernate for up to two years in the case of desert snails.

3. Source

Snail source is an important aspect in this process of farming, it is sensible to get snails directly from the forest or buy a reliable dealer in the market.

The forest techniques could be tricky, snails can be gotten from the forest with base techniques, clear a small portion of land during the rainy season, and drop fruits like pineapple, pawpaw, plantain, and banana within 4/5 pm in the evening.

In the evening, come back at 7/8 pm you will pick up snails suitable for farming. You can repeat the process until you get the reasonable amount you so desire.

4. Wind Speed and Direction

The second factor to consider is how wind accelerates because it affects the moisture content of the soil.

To prevent snails from drying out, snail farms should be situated in sites that are protected from the wind.

You can site your farm in downhill sites, preferably those with good tree cover to reduce wind impact.

If you Plant trees around snail pens will also help to reduce the wind speed and improve the micro-climate.

It will also protect the snails from the scorching sun or torrential rain.

5. Temperature and Humidity

Snails are cold-blooded, and they thrive best in areas with moderate temperatures and high humidity also when the temperature rises snails go into dormancy during the dry season this is one of the problems of snail farming.

So the relative air humidity of your snail farm should not be near saturation, because it would encourage the development of harmful bacteria and fungi.

In outdoor situations, it is clearly impossible to control climatic factors.

However, the magnitude of temperature and humidity fluctuations is reduced in areas of relatively undisturbed forest or fairly dense vegetation cover.

Such sites should be preferred to open grassland or farmland areas.

6. Location and Environment 

The most suitable spot to locate your snail farm is a low plain, downhill site.

The farm should not be exposed to excessive wind hence the location would dry out and dehydrate your snails.

It is best to have trees like bananas or plantain planted around your snail farm.

Depending on the scale of snail farming you want to go into, your snails can be reared in a large covered box if you are considering small-scale snail farming, or in a concrete pen with soil flooring if you want to rear snails on a large scale.

Starting Up Cost for Snail Farming

In terms of cost and time, snail farming is a low-risk business.

Unlike many other livestock businesses, snail farming requires very little startup and operating costs.

You can even set up your snail farm in the backyard of your house to save costs on the purchase of farmland.

The best time to start up snail farming is the rainy season especially from July to October because that is the time snails normally start to breed.

However, you should also note that the prices of snails multiply during scarcity between March and December, which is the dry season.

The mandatory expenses you need to account for if you’re wondering how to set up a snail farm include: housing, buying fresh snails, feeding, handling, and processing the snails, marketing, and transportation.

Also, you can start the business with N60,000 or N100,000 depending on how large you want your snail farm to be.

Aside from the amount of your investment, it is possible to produce 1,000,000 snails now worth more than N5 million twice a year.

Benefit of Snail Framing

Here are the importance of Snail Farming:

  • Snail farming is not highly capital-intensive
  • Snail is a good source of protein.
  • It contains low fat & cholesterol levels.
  • It maintains low mortality
  • It’s a Good foreign exchange earner
  • Food
  • Traditional medicine.

Finally, we hope the above information has really satisfied your curiosity, help share the same information with your friends out there by clicking the share button on this website.

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