SNAIL FARMING IN GHANA AND ITS VIABILITY AS AN INVESTMENT

1. INTRODUCTION

Heliciculture, often known as snail farming, is the practice of producing edible snails for human
consumption and cosmetic purposes. Snail farming is recognized as having a remarkably
high return on investment to capital ratio since it is less capital-intensive, requires very little space
to set up, has a short life cycle from egg to adulthood, and is easy to feed.

Aside from poultry, mutton, beef, and hog, snail meat is an important source of protein in Ghana.
However, while this meat is a favorite delicacy in many Ghanaian families, it is not always available
all year. As a result, scarcity arises during the dry season, primarily due to snail aestivation. Because
of this seasonality, the quantity of snails is limited, necessitating farming. Snails aestivate and
become expensive and rare during the dry season, while they are plentiful and inexpensive during
the wet season. This is because snails bury themselves in the dirt as well as burrow underneath
stones throughout aestivation to avoid direct solar radiation.

Achatina Fulica (also known as East African land snail), Achatina Achatina (Giant Ghana snail or
Giant tiger snail), and Archachatina Marginata (Giant West African snail) are the three species of
snails that are routinely cultivated in Ghana.

This research would offer a thorough examination of the snail market in Ghana, revealing the most
recent information on snail farming, market trends, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and
threats as well as changes in consumption, production, and price trends as well as international
trade (imports and exports).

2. DESCRIPTION OF SNAIL FARMING IN GHANA AND ITS INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Ghana, formally known as the Republic of Ghana, is a West African country. It is bordered on the
south by the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Ivory Coast, on the north by
Burkina Faso, and on the east by Togo. It currently has a population of 30.8 million according to the
Ghanaian 2021 Population and Housing Census.

Snail farming is one of the profitable, long-term Agribusinesses that most Ghanaians overlook. Snail
meat (colloquially known as Congo Meat) is a popular delicacy and healthy meat that is high in
protein, phosphorus, calcium, and iron while being low in fat, salt, and cholesterol. Even though it
demands minimal capital, the profit margin on snail farming is considerably huge in comparison to
investment. Ghana Snails are expected to cost in US dollars between US$ 0.5 and US$ 0.71 per
kilogram or between US$ 0.23 and US$ 0.32 per pound (lb) in 2023. The price in Ghana Cedi is GHS
2.9c per kg, while the average price per tonne in Kumasi and Accra is $ 500. Snails are particularly
expensive in some Accra markets and restaurants during the dry season; four pieces currently cost
between GH80 and GH100 (approximately $13 and $17). Also, in 2019, it was reported that the
imported price for snails in Ghana was around $0.15 per kilo.

Snails could be exported alive, chilled, frozen, salted, dried or in brine, smoked, with or without
shell, and prepared or preserved (save for smoked and sea snails). Ghana supplied snails worth
 0.00m USD in 2019, a decline of -100.00% from the total snails export of 0.005m USD in 2018.
Between 2017 and 2018, the annual change in the value of Ghana snails was 150 percent.

The annual change in Ghana's snail exports between 2017 and 2019 was 66.67 percent, compared
to a variance of 42.857% between 2018 and 2019. In 2019, Ghana had less than 1% of the world's total
snail exports and ranks 79th in the world for snail exports.

The annual need for snails in both Ghana and the international market cannot be overstated, and
the international snail trade is thriving. The United States alone imports more than $4 million in
snails from all over the world, including Ghana, and there are other similar markets. For instance, a
Ghanaian businessman said that his organization currently has an offtake arrangement to provide
200,000 snails every month to a customer in the UK who was referred by the Ghanaian Ministry of
Food and Agriculture. Due to the high demand, it was forced to utilize an out-grower technique
where it built greenhouses for customers and then purchased them back to increase the stock. But
as of right present, it has only succeeded in reaching 20% of the export quota.

3. WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN STARTING A SNAIL-REARING BUSINESS

3.1. SNAIL BREEDS

Several different species of snails may be found in Ghana, including the milk snail (Otala
lacteal), the white garden snail (Theba pisana), the garden snail (Cornu aspersum), the
Burgundy snail (Helix pomatia), the most well-known African giant snail (Achatina achatina).
Due to its profusion and valuable size, the gigantic African snail is the perfect species for
Heliculture.

3.2. FEEDING
Fruits and vegetables like bananas, watermelon, cabbage, carrot, pawpaw, lettuce,
cucumber, potato, pumpkin, plantain, and others are common snail meals. Snails also eat
green foliage and unsalted human crumbs. They also require calcium to grow shells, so,
eggshells and limestone should be included in their diets. Water leaves, cocoyam, pawpaw,
okra, cassava, eggplant, cabbage, lettuce and banana leaves are other excellent choices.
Homemade leftovers such as rice, beans, pap, corn, basics and others without salt could also
be fed to snails regularly. Farmers should feed snails early in the morning and late at night,
as well as provide plenty of drinking water to avoid dehydration and boost fertility.

3.3. SOIL TYPE

Soil is the snail's primary habitat, and dirt contains some of the components and chemical
substances that it requires to survive and partially retain and drain water. The soil type
should be rich and abundant in organic content, as well as ideal for burrowing, non-acidic,
and reusable. Sandy-loamy soil with a limited water retention capacity is suited for snail
farming. Because the snail would lay its eggs and take water from the earth, the soil has to
be balanced and not saturated. The snail's shell is mostly calcium, which it gets from the soil.

3.4. HOUSING
 Housing snails correctly is critical; common land snails (Achatina Fulica) fare well at room
temperature throughout the Dry Season, with a little heat mat connected to the tank's side
during the winter months. The tiger snail (Achatina Achatina), for example, prefers
conditions above room temperature (23 to 27 degrees), and some species of snail will only
flourish in warmer enclosures. When heating the enclosure, the farmer must also ensure
that a thermostat (a device used to regulate the temperature of the heat mat) is installed.

The house designs and sizes are determined by the farm's size. The comfort of cultivated
snails is determined by housing size. Acquiring permanent farmland is required for
commercial farming. for sustenance, snails can be raised in boxes constructed of suitable
materials such as wire gauze (net) and wood. Various types of snaileries can be developed.
Some things must be considered, such as the snails' developmental stage and habits.

This entails categorizing snails by age as newly hatched, young, and adult. It is vital to note
that younger snails will demand more comfortable housing, which should be protected from
predators. Snails flourish in dark, humid environments, therefore direct sunshine or heat
should be avoided.

3.5. PESTS AND DISEASES

Termites, lizards, snakes, ants, chickens, geese, and turkeys are common snail predators and
should be avoided at all costs. Although few diseases have been identified in snails, fungal
and bacterial diseases spread by contact have been observed in overcrowded enclosures.
According to a local snail farmer, "look out for pests or pathogens such as parasites,
nematodes, and fungi, as well as rats, mice, moles, skunks, weasels, birds, frogs, toads, and
lizards."

3.6. REPRODUCTION
Snails achieve sexual maturity at the age of eight to twelve months, and viable eggs hatch
between the ages of four and six weeks. They do not have a defined breeding season and lay
five to six clutches of eggs per year on average, with 200 eggs per clutch if conditions are
suitable. After hatching, the infant snail spends two to five days in the ground. Farmers
would be repaid for the snail's two-year maturity time because of its prolific reproduction
and commercial worth (high demand). To ensure enough growing area and protection, the
hatchlings should be put in a separate pen.

3.7. HARVEST
Maturity takes around two years to harvest. Harvesting immature snails is not advisable. It is
usually advisable to examine the shell's brim; if it's developed enough, the brim should be
thicker and harder than the rest of the shell. Don't take all of the older ones to the market.
Keep a few for breeding and as starting stock. Mr. Mark stated, "You can harvest snails using
containers, bowls, boxes, and baskets, and 10kg per pack is usually ideal due to the high
fragility of snails."

3.8. THE ECONOMICS AND ROI ON SNAIL FARMING

 Snail raising is a viable approach to generate a significant income because feeding them is
inexpensive and the business may be done part-time. Snail meat is costly, particularly during
the dry season.

Because it doesn't take much time, you can keep your current job and work on this part-
time. Because the snail pen costs 478 cedis and the seed snails cost 1195 cedis, a commercial
snail firm of 100 snails requires around 1,673 cedis. In the market, it is estimated that an adult
snail can get between 7.17 and 19.12 cedis, depending on size and season. In some places,
snail is an export commodity with a value second only to gold. It brings in foreign currency.

4. CONCLUSION

According to one study, Ghanaians are flocking to snail farming since it is a low-cost, high-profit
business that transfers around US $ 4 million to America each year. According to the same data,
Ghana exported around 620 kilograms of snails to the Netherlands and 1,050 kilograms to the
United States in 1994. Snail farming in Ghana has become such a lucrative business that agricultural
specialists, in collaboration with various international and sub-regional food agencies, are providing
professional assistance to potential farmers for them to harvest more output for the local and
global markets.

Snails for food consumption is a century-old Akan tribal practice that has encouraged practically
every Ghanaian throughout the country to enjoy this delicacy as a staple food with nutritional value.
"The meat is not only a delicacy but is a component of what the rural Ghanaian will call a complete
meal," says Adotei Brown.

Currently, Ghanaians consume over 15,000 tonnes of snails, but only roughly a quarter of that
amount comes from the country, with the remaining 13,000 coming from neighbouring Cote
d'Ivoire. Experts' positive appraisals of snails and their economic significance have sparked a snail
farming boom in the country.
According to Margaret Sumah, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture has received several requests
for professional guidance on snail farming from individuals and members of various faiths and
organizations. She claims that three people phone her every week for information and advice on
snail farming. "Last year, I spoke to a group of 150 people, and churches and associations have
asked for my help," she said.

According to her, to enter the commercial snail farming sector, a farmer must have between
150,000 and 200,000 snails. They can get three individuals to work for them, but they can also earn
tens of millions of cedis when exported. Local snail farming can be begun with as few as 50 snails
and can produce approximately 5,000 snails in three months, providing the farmer with additional
money. Snail growers always generate large profits during the off-season since four snails weighing
between 100-150 grams can make up to 50,000 cedis in the local market. During the rainy season,
the same quantity might be sold for as little as 5.000 cedis.