You can make good income by rearing snails, researcher says

Snails, which have invaded the expansive Mwea Irrigation Scheme in Kirinyaga County, are known to be highly destructive to crops.

However, the farmers can make a killing from the organisms which are wreaking havoc on the scheme which produces 80 per cent of rice consumed in Kenya.

Already, scientists from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) have educated 150 groups of farmers from the on the economic value of the snails.

According to the research scientist at JKUAT, Dr Paul Kinoti, snails play an important role in income generation, nutrition and health.

Research has also shown that snails are an important source of income for farmers who live in rural areas.

The money realised from the sale of the snails can be used for many purposes including educating children as well as meeting other household needs. Again, snails are also used for decorative works and carvings such as flower vases, ash trays and other interior decorations, thus making them to have additional economic advantages.

Skincare products

Dr Kinoti, who is the coordinator of Biosnail Project which is funded by Japan International Corporation (Jica), noted that the slime extracted from the snails is used to make skincare products such as body lotions and soaps.

Due to the high protein content found in snail meat, they are used as an alternative source of protein for livestock feed to substitute use of fish and soya bean ingredients.

At the same time, the high calcium and phosphorus content present in snails constitutes a valuable ingredient for generation of organic fertilisers for use in horticultural gardening.

“Instead of complaining, the farmers should see the invasion of the snails as another opportunity to make money," he said.

Dr Kinoti and his colleagues are determined to assist the farmers make proper use of snails to eke out a living and improve their diet.

"We are educating farmers from the scheme on how to capitalise on the snails. We organised a three-day education seminar for them at the university and they are buying our ideas," he said.

Snail meat provides a much higher source of protein than that of conventional animals.

The meat is also rich in iron, potassium, phosphorous, essential amino acids, vitamins C and B complex and is low in fat content.

Medicinal value

Snails have high medicinal value. They are used in the prevention and curing of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, kidney diseases, tuberculosis, anaemia, diabetes and asthma.

Further, research has shown that snail meat has low fat and cholesterol levels, which makes it useful in the treatment of arteriosclerosis and other heart-related diseases.

The bluish liquid obtained when the flesh of a snail is removed from its shell is also good for development of infants.

Research reveals that snail production is a very profitable business which can be used in reducing poverty among Kenyan farmers.

Available opportunities for farmers include a ready market for snails and their by-products, both locally and on the international market.

A recent market study has shown that there is an enthusiastic demand for snail products in Australian market and French restaurants.

"There is also a high demand from pet suppliers for the distribution of snails as food. Paris alone consumes over 100 million snail products every year. Snails are sold in general food markets and are purchased by restaurants. Snail shells are also needed in UK for a lot of decorative works and carvings such as flower vases, ash trays and other interior decorations. Bio-snail farming technology can therefore be considered as a highly profitable venture as well as a subsidiary source of income for majority of Kenyan farmers," Dr Kinoti explained.

Low cost

He said that snail farming is easy and does not involve a lot of costs.

"Generally speaking, snails are easily handled, transported and managed by children and women with minimum training which leads to keeping production costs down. Snails adapt to various environmental conditions which makes it possible for them to be reared in small towns, cities, farms, at backyards or commercial levels and villages," he told the Nation.

Snails are fed using household waste which includes fruit and tuber peels. They include bananas, plantain, pineapples, yams, cassava, cocoyam and especially pawpaw. They are also fed on food leftovers like cooked rice and beans. They can also be fed on market waste which is easily collected from the dumping sites.