Wangui Waweru has struck gold with snails. After accidentally eating snail meat in 2017, her newfound fascination with the shelled creatures led her to Uganda and Kigali for hands-on learning.
Despite dealing with stigma and accusations related to witchcraft, Waweru pressed on, motivated by her conviction in the potential of snails as both a food source and pets.
Now, her initial apprehension has evolved into a flourishing business, Gold Dust Snail Farm, which brings her monthly earnings of up to Ksh90,000 ($695) from her greenhouse filled with these mollusks.
Waweru, who used to be a crop farmer, told Farm Kenya, “Not many people understand why I ventured into snail farming, even family but I cannot compare them with crop farming which was tedious and less paying.”
“Marketing my produce was one of the hardest things I experienced as a farmer. I spent many sleepless nights thinking about cost and where to sell since most farmers harvest the produce at the same time which fuels the marketing challenge.”
She is certified to rear snails, having completed a snail course at the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). One must obtain a letter of no objection from the National Museum of Kenya before starting to rear the snails. After that, they must apply for rearing permission from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). This is because snails are classified as wildlife in the country.
Waweru currently rears about 4,500 giant African land snails (Achatina fulica), the world’s largest snail species, selling them for between Ksh2,000 (about $15) and Ksh3,000 (approximately $23) per kilogram.
She feeds the shelled creatures fruit pieces, especially watermelons, and vegetables like cabbages.
Giant African land snails are hermaphrodites, meaning they have both female and male reproductive organs. As a result, they grow their population more quickly since they lay 300 to 500 eggs in three months, which hatch after 11 to 15 days.
Waweru’s farm is located roughly 15 kilometers from Nakuru town in the Lanet area. She dreams for a future where improved air transport will facilitate global exports of her products.
Waweru’s primary clientele consists of expatriates from Europe, Asia, and West Africa, who value the high protein and low cholesterol content of snail meat. In contrast, local consumers are still wary of this unconventional delicacy.
She shared with Kenyans.co.ke that “Snails are a common delicacy among communities in West Africa,” emphasizing her market that includes Ghanaians, Cameroonians, Nigerians, Senegalese, Sierra Leonians, and Togolese, in addition to South Americans and Asians.
Additionally, she said, “When you target the right market and customers, snail farming can be a very rewarding business.”
Aside from food, Wangui noted that snails are ideal for skin treatment because the slime they create, known as mucin, is used to make skin care products. Antioxidants included in snail mucin may help minimize aging symptoms like drooping, wrinkles, and uneven skin tone.
Wangui believes that her work can help tackle food security in her country.
She told the outlet, “To enhance food security, Kenyans need to diversify their choice of foods. Snails are plentiful in counties where people are either starving or malnourished.”
