Attempts have been made to examine the contribution of snail farming to poverty reduction in
Nigeria. Snail farming is a money spinning enterprise both locally and internationally because
from establishment through feeding to harvesting, snailery is relatively cheap. It is veritable
means of complementing the carbohydrate meals of the totality of Nigeria as well as a means of
generating income and to achieving self-sufficiency as it provides self-employment to the
people. Besides, snail is highly nutritious, has a lot of medicinal and cultural/social values. The
need to enhance the mass production of snails cannot be overestimated because snails can be
reared both on small scale and large-scale production systems. Snail rearing can be seen as a
veritable means of generating income and to achieve self-sufficiency in hard times as presently
experienced in Nigeria today. There is now a renewed interest in snail farming because of its
inherent importance to food security and sustainable livelihood in rural households.
The importance of snail farming cannot be undermined due to its great prospect in business.
The amount of capital required for the establishment of a snailery is appreciably small and the
practice requires little labour with no strenuous physical exertion. Physically challenged people
including the dumb, lame; deaf etc can also carry out the work. Snails generally are noiseless and
quite easy to handle. They can be reared in urban environment without infringing on the peace of
neighbors. The practice also has the need for small space requirement. Besides, snails have been
shown to adapt to various environmental conditions hence can be raised in small towns, cities,
farms, at background or commercial levels and villages. In addition, the meat appears as a
delight on the table to most families. They can be managed in a small space. Snails sell generally
high compared to other meat hence their establishment can go a long way to solving
unemployment, nutritional and health problems.
Types of snail to farm
Only snails that live on land and are edible should be selected for farming. Some kinds of land
snails harbor harmful parasites. Many edible species of land snails are recognized in Nigeria. The
popular specie of economic interest is the west African giant snails Achatina maginata and
Achatina achatina (giant snail, tiger snail)
A widely distributed species in West Africa (particularly in Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana,
Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Togo).
Achatina achatina snails are reputedly the largest land snails in the world.
Although usually much smaller, they can grow up to 30 cm in body length and 25 cm in
Average adult shell length is 18cm, with an average diameter of 9 cm
The conically shaped, fairly pointed shell is brownish with a characteristic stripe pattern
(hence the name tiger snail).
The small (4 mm in diameter) yellowish-white eggs are laid in clutches of 10-400 eggs
within 8-20 days of copulation,
The snails may reach sexual maturity in less than a year. Larger snails continue to feed on
plant materials, but feed increasingly on detritus as they age. Normally, they live for 3-5 years
Archachatina marginata (big black snail, giant African land snail)
is a large snail, generally growing to about 20 cm and a live weight of 500g.
The shell is much less pointed than the Achatina species, the roundness being
especially obvious in young animals.
Striation on the shell may give the appearance of a 'woven' texture.
The head of the snail is dark-grey; its foot is a lighter shade.
The species reaches sexual maturity at an age of around one year, when the
individuals reach a live weight of 100-125 g. Reciprocal copulation must occur to
produce viable eggs.
The eggs are comparatively large at 17 × 12 mm, with an average weight of 4.8g
The incubation period, from egg to hatchling, is around 4 weeks. Hatchlings have
a thin, transparent shell
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