Do you want to start snail farming on a small scale? If so, find here a detailed business plan guide on the basic steps you need to follow while starting and running a snail farming business.
Snail farming business opportunity demands discipline and specific knowledge of modern technology. Snail farming is the process of raising land snails specifically for human consumption. It has a high rate of protein, iron, low fat, and almost all the amino acids that are needed for the human body. Snails are considered a healthy and tasty source of nutrition. The demand is increasing day by day globally.
Here are the 7 Steps to Start a Snail Farming Business
1. Why Snail Farming? Is it Profitable?
The profit margin is extremely high in commercial snail farming. The demand for snails both in the domestic and export markets is higher than supplies. Every part of the snail is useful. Apart from food, there is a usage of snails in the pharmaceutical industry and fishing industries. Modern upgraded technology is available for snail farming and one can generate more profit in a year.
2. Do Market Research
Before starting snail farming, it is important to understand the market around your locality as well as the export potential. Talk to the nearby people associated with this industry and develop a market research report. This will be a very important tool while creating a business plan for your project.
3. Write a Business Plan
If you are interested in running a profitable and successful snail farming business, it is extremely critical to have a business plan document at your hand. Take some time off and start writing the business plan. Check this guide on how to write a business plan or you can take help from a business plan software.
4. Select Location
When you are selecting a location for your snail farming business, the most important factor to consider is the land. It should be plain land containing 20-40% organic matter and suitable for plants to grow. It is advisable that soil should be friable soil with a PH balance of 5.8 to 7.5 and containing calcium.
You will need to have a light soil structure and should avoid clay-type soil for the snail farming business. Good soil facilitates snail growth and provides some of their nutrition. Your snailery must be escape-proof and effective against predators and it allows easy entrée to the trend snails. You must consider some termite-resistant timber in building the snailery.
5. Learn the Process of Snail Farming
Before starting the snail farming business you will need to have sufficient knowledge and skill about the modern technology of snail farming.
In countries like Nigeria, the United States, and India there are agriculture associations and universities providing training on snail farming. Attend those workshops or you can go to some government farm to get practical knowledge.
To make your snail farming business a successful venture it is important to know every financial; aspect of this business, especially the start-up cost, return, and payback.
6. What You Need to Have to Start a Snail Farm
You will need to have some equipment on your farm. Those are hutch boxes, trench pens, free-range pens, mini paddock pens, movable pens, small weighing machines, thermometers, etc. Gather these supplies from reliable sources.
Concentrate on the species of snail that you are going to cultivate. The most recommended snail species is Achatina Achatina. It has a high production capacity and it can lay eggs up to 500 pieces at once and also it laid eggs three times a year. You will need to source snail eggs from reliable and certified suppliers.
Most snails are vegetarians and they accept many different kinds of feed like green leaves, fruits, tubers, and flowers. Besides these, you can provide nutrition-rich mixed feed to enhance the growth of the snails.
Give your farm a hygienic environment so that you can protect snails from diseases. Get proper insurance for your snail farming business to get compensation for any loss and damages.
7. Market Your Snail Farming Produce
You can sell mature snails in the local market. You can also contact local food retailers, hotels, restaurants, stores, supermarkets, and institutions and supply them. There is a very good export market for snails. Europe, France, the US, Japan, and Korea are the biggest importer of snails.
Editorial Team at 99BusinessIdeas is a team of experts led by Rupak Chakrabarty with over 25 years of experience in starting and running small businesses. Started in 2010, 99BusinessIdeas is now one of the largest free small business resources in the industry.