Better Farming Series 33 - Farming Snails 1: Reaming about Snails; Building a Pen; Food and Shelter Plants (FAO, 1986, 57 p.) Introduction (introduction...) What do you need to start?

Better Farming Series 33 - Farming Snails 1: Reaming about Snails; Building a Pen; Food and Shelter Plants (FAO, 1986, 57 p.)

Introduction

1. Did you know that many kinds of snails are good to eat?

2. Snail meat tastes good and it is also good for you. If you have snail meat to eat, it will help to keep you and your family strong and healthy.

Family kept strong and healthy

3. If you want to have snails to eat you can get them in different ways.

4. Many people gather wild snails that live nearby. Sometimes you can buy snails at the market or from people who gather them to sell to others.

5. You can also raise your own snails. This is called snail farming. Today, a great many people all over the world farm snails.

6. If you farm your own snails, you will always have a supply of fresh snail meat whenever you want it.

7. Then, if your family is not too big and you grow more snails than you need to eat, you can sell what you do not use to your neighbours or at the market.

Selling snails at the market

8. With more food to eat and the money you get by selling snails, you and your family can live better.

9. However, if your family is big you will need to grow many more snails if you are going to have enough to eat and to sell at the market.

You need to grow more snails if your family is big

What do you need to start?

You will need

· enough snails to start your snail farm

· a place near your house with the right kind of soil and the right amount of water for snails to live and grow

· the kinds of plants that snails need for food and shelter
· the materials to build a pen for the snail

10. If you have or can get all of these things, you can raise snails.