All About Snail Farming

Snail farming (also called heliciculture ) has become popular in recent years as an extra income alternative and also as a hobby . This activity requires little care, a low initial investment and can be developed in medium-sized spaces.

This simplicity makes this activity accessible to small farmers or urban entrepreneurs interested in starting a new business. Today we will try to explain everything you need to know about snail farming and its basic requirements.

Advantages and disadvantages of snail farming

As we have already said, snail farming offers a number of benefits to producers. In addition to requiring a minimum initial capital, the investment in this segment is easily recoverable, due to the benefits it generates.

When this is done optimally, the business means guaranteed profit, because the snail market in Europe has a shortage of supply and strong demand. Around the world, every year, about 900,000 tons of snails are consumed (40,000 in Italy alone, compared to 400,000 in France and 250,000 in Spain).

Another advantage is that the snail’s breeding season is relatively short, from early spring until October. It means that any manufacturer can make it compatible with other profitable businesses and get other benefits.

The adaptability of the snail

We must also highlight the easy adaptation of snails to different climates and their ease of reproduction. A healthy snail, once successfully inseminated, can lay more than 100 eggs per breeding season.

As for the disadvantages, we can say that if you do not have enough space, you will have to invest in buying or renting  a large enough plot. This increases your initial investment, which in principle is used to create “pastures” to feed the snails and provide them with water.

Possible markets and applications for snails

As we anticipated before, considering only Europe, we can already see a very interesting opportunity for snail entrepreneurs. It is a very open market that few people think of.

Currently, around 80% of the snails consumed in Italy come from countries such as Morocco. It allows us to assume that future Italian producers will have the possibility to commercialize 100% of their production in the local market.

Snail meat has always been highly valued in European cuisine, both for its flavor, nutritional properties and low price. In countries like France, snail pate is considered a sophisticated food worthy of the best tables.

Other uses of snails besides meat

In addition to meat, snail eggs are also consumed and appreciated as white caviar. For the entrepreneur, this means that it is possible to diversify the supply by selling eggs that have not been successfully fertilized (about 10% per season). Result: a double business opportunity and almost at no cost.

In addition to gastronomy, snail slime is a product appreciated by the international cosmetic industry. Its beneficial properties for skin regeneration and hydration led to its market value being quoted.

What does it take to start a snail farm?

• Aquarium or terrarium, with grid cover.
• A land, suitable for gardens and crops (fertile land).
• Composition rocks rich in calcium carbonate.
• Waterfall.
• Good quality feed and grass to feed snails.

In some cases, it will also be necessary to have a good heating system. Snails are native to warm climates, characterized by a spring and summer with high humidity and high temperatures.

If the climate in your environment is too cold, snails can hibernate and stop reproducing, resulting in a loss of product. To complete the ideal environment for snails, we can choose some hollow bricks, which will serve as a refuge.

Finally, in addition to food, we can offer our snails raw vegetables, such as green leaves, in order to vary their basic diet.

Some tips for successful heliciculture 3f

Experienced breeders recommend starting with small plots, 500 to 1,000 square meters. In addition, it is important to take a year or two to assimilate the right knowledge about it. Lack of practice and ignorance are among the main causes of bankruptcy in all businesses.

The ideal would be to start with the purchase of adult breeding snails. Thus, you will ensure that the fertile and healthy specimens begin to reproduce.

You can also choose to buy young snails, which will take between three and four months to reach optimal development. There are also a considerable number of entrepreneurs who are dedicated to harvesting wild snails to maintain their heliciculture.

Finally, it is essential to have perseverance and patience to achieve success in snail farming. From the third year it is quite likely that the producer will guarantee a full return on his investment, for which it is necessary to produce more than a ton of snails.