2023-12-26 23:06:28
In Ivory Coast, the breeding of giant snails is a new booming industry. Over the past five years, several livestock farms have opened their doors, mainly in wetlands. This activity turns out to be particularly lucrative. Report from a livestock farm in Azaguié, 40 km north of Abidjan.
In a brick building, plastic sheeting acts as a wall. Inside, I can see several bins, covered with a grid. In these tanks, thousands of snails live under leaves. Jean-Noël Akessé waters them once or twice a day, depending on the season. “ Right now I have 4 000 and they reproduce quicklyhe says. We want to recreate the natural environment of the snail : it does not like the sun and lives in humid environments. »
Originally, Jean-Noël Akessé was a trader. He converted to this sector out of pragmatism: snail farming requires little investment and brings big returns. “ I sell quarterly, reports the breeder. I sell regarding a ton of snails and it brings me 300 000 CFA francs [environ 450 euros]. Per year, it comes to 12 million CFA francs [approximativement 18 000 euros] ».
Bernus Bleu is one of the pioneers in this sector. This engineer focuses on products derived from snails. His company manufactures soaps and shower gels from snail slime. “ You can sell the shell of the snail, which is a component of livestock feedhe explains. The snail’s slime can be used in cosmetic products. These derivative products are purchased by manufacturers, such as parallel soap manufacturers for example. The manufacturers who manufacture cosmetic products buy the slime and we buy the live snail directly from the breeders. ».
A sector in full expansion for five years
Ivory Coast produces on average 250 tonnes of giant snails per month. However, the sector still needs to be further structured in order to be able to meet international demand. This is what Christian Alla, the coordinator of a project to support livestock development at the Ministry of Animal Resources, explains: “ First, there is not enough production of snail slime for it to be exported. Then there is the question of standards. The project will work to increase slime production, improve production standards and also legislation. »
This manager intends to continue to emphasize training in order to achieve an Ivorian label, to better export products derived from this sector.
Read alsoIvory Coast: the meteoric progression of giant snail farming
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