Market Opportunities for Snail Farming in Africa

Market Opportunities for Snail Farming in Africa
Most of the snails supplied to the African market are gathered
from bushes and forests during the rainy season (usually between
April and September). Because snails are very dormant during the
dry season, they become increasingly scarce during this period
and the market is starved of adequate supply until the next wet
season. This makes the supply of snails very seasonal in many
parts of Africa where they serve as food. As a consequence, snails
can fetch much higher prices during the dry season (December to
March) when supply often does not keep up with demand.
Snails may go on break during the dry seasons but the human
appetite for its taste always remains, and continues to grow
throughout the year. And to think that several festivities take place
during the dry season (Christmas et al), makes this a first choice
agribusiness.
Due to steadily growing demand from customers, hotels and
restaurants are always in need of snail delicacies on their menus.
And given the significant upside to the profits that can be made, it
makes a lot of sense to take maximum advantage of this market
when the supply of snails is significantly short.
There is also growing demand in Europe for giant African snails.
Apart from their great taste, many people abroad like to keep them
as pets and keepsakes due to their sheer size (I was surprised
too!). But never mind, you are likely to be very busy satisfying the
local demand to bother about exports. However, it’s still good to
know that such foreign market opportunities exist for this small
business. If you're interested in exports, you could read up the
How to export to the USA and Europe section of our Dried and
Smoked fish export article.