How profitable is snail farming?

Saturday February 2 2019


By Christine Katende

Is snail farming profitable? Christine Nakyeyune

Dear Christine
Heliculture, commonly known as snail farming, is the process of raising land snails specifically for human use, either to use their flesh as edible escargot or, more recently, to obtain snail slime for use in cosmetics and snail eggs for human consumption as a type of caviar.
Snail farming is considered to be one of the most lucrative agribusiness you can start with low capital.

Yet, it is one of the most neglected animal rearing business in most African countries save a few in West Africa and Kenya.
Snail farming provides one of the finest opportunity to make money within a short time.
But why are Africans not yet fully engaged in this money making animal rearing? The reason is ignorance. Snail farming can yield quick money if the farmer understands the nitty-gritty of the modern techniques and types of species that are in high demand. In Uganda we sell the snails to major hotels in Kampala.

Perhaps the best known edible land snail species in the Western world is Helix pomatia. Cornu aspersum, the next most known, were found originally in the Mediterranean region, but are now also common in many parts of North America, Central America, Africa and Australasia.

Answered by Edward Nyende Waiswa a snail farmer and agronomist in Luweero