Farmers who have started snail farming have been getting good cash from the trade which is becoming more popular in the agri-business sector.With a kilo of meat going for Ksh1,500, heliciculture (raising consumable land snails) is proving a beneficial endeavour.
The cost is what Jomo Kenyatta Institute of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) will pay for and also participates in slime extraction at Ksh1,200 a liter with 3,000 snails creating up to 10 liters every week.
Snails, however not a famous source of meat among Kenyans, are sought after in the export market. They are viewed as nutritious as they contain 70% low-calorie protein which is 15% of its complete mass with fat representing 2.4% and the other 80% being water.
On the nourishing front, snails contain fundamental amino acids and are rich in fatty acids, calcium, iron, selenium, magnesium and nutrients E, A, K and B12.
Dr Paul Kinoti of Bio snail farming has throughout the years clarified that the snails have various advantages for a farmer.
“It is a venture that has a ready, highly profitable market for the snails and their byproducts, and since they adapt to various environmental conditions, it is possible to rear them in small towns, cities, farms, at backyards or commercial levels and villages,” he explained in a previous interview.
