The Snail Farm Profit Secret: Why Ghanaians Should Consider Snail Farming

In a country where farmland is expensive, bank loans are hard to come by, and the cost of feeding livestock keeps rising, there is one agricultural venture that quietly checks every box for the everyday Ghanaian looking to build income from the soil — snail farming. It requires little money, little land, and almost no feed budget. Yet it offers outsized returns in a market hungry for more supply. Here's why snail farming deserves serious attention.

1. You Don't Need a Big Budget to Start

One of the most common reasons Ghanaians hesitate to enter farming is the fear of high startup costs. Snail farming removes that fear almost entirely. Small starter boxes begin from as little as 700 cedis (about US$58), and a starter pack of snails costs around 150 cedis (about US$12.50). Compared to poultry, fish farming, or cattle rearing — all of which demand significant infrastructure before the first animal arrives — snail farming lets you begin small, learn as you grow, and scale only when you're ready.

Trisolace co-founder Felix Appiah Nyarko and his partner raised just GHC 5,000 from their national service savings to start rearing snails commercially. The starting point does not have to be grand to lead somewhere significant.

2. No Large Land? No Problem

Land scarcity in urban and peri-urban Ghana is a real challenge, but snail farming sidesteps it entirely. Snails are actually the most profitable farm animals per square meter — you can raise them in a small space and they will still reproduce and generate significant income. They don't smell and they don't make noise, so you can raise them in urban settings.

A backyard, a spare room, or a corner of an existing farm is more than enough to get started. Unlike other livestock farming which requires huge housing structures, snail farming can be done right at the backyard of your home or anywhere cool enough to house snails away from direct sunlight. For city dwellers who have dreamed of farming but assumed it wasn't for them, snails change the equation.

3. Feed Costs Are Remarkably Low

Feeding animals is typically where profits go to die. Not so with snails. As herbivores, snails thrive on what is essentially free or very cheap food: fallen leaves, vegetable peels, kitchen scraps, pawpaw, plantain, cabbage, and other garden greens. Snails are given poultry feed, vegetables, and kitchen leftovers — and they gorge on it all. For families who already cook daily, the feed bill for a snail farm can be near zero.

This is a game-changer for low-income households looking for a side hustle that won't eat into their budget before they see returns.

4. They Multiply Faster Than You Think

Snails may move slowly, but their reproduction rate is surprisingly impressive. At full maturity, the popular Achatina Achatina species — known locally as "Nwapa" — typically lays 200 eggs per batch, with 5 to 6 batches per year, amounting to between 1,000 and 1,200 eggs annually. What this means in practice is remarkable: one greenhouse project that began with 1,000 snails grew to more than 20,000 in just five months.

This kind of regeneration rate means that even a modest starting stock can become a commercially viable operation within a single year — without buying new animals or spending on breeding programmes.

5. The Market Is Wide Open

Perhaps the most compelling reason of all is simple: Ghana needs more snails, and the country knows it. The demand for snails in Ghana is strong, yet the domestic supply is weak — Ghana imports a significant volume of snails from neighbouring Côte d'Ivoire. That is money leaving Ghana's economy for a product Ghanaians can absolutely grow themselves.

Snails are a beloved part of Ghanaian cuisine, appearing in popular dishes like jollof rice with snails, banku with snail stew, yam chips with peppered snails, and snail kebabs in eateries across the country. Local restaurants, chop bars, hotels, and market women are all consistent buyers. And the market keeps growing — Nyarko estimates that Ghanaian snail farmers can currently meet only 18% of total market demand, which is precisely why his company offers free training to bring more people into the sector.

Beyond local demand, the global market is booming. The edible snail market is valued at over USD 600 million globally and is projected to reach nearly USD 1 billion by 2033, with demand rising in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Ghanaian snail farmers who build quality operations today are positioning themselves to tap into this export opportunity tomorrow.

The Bottom Line

Snail farming is not a get-rich-quick scheme. It takes patience, basic knowledge, and consistent care. But as low-barrier, high-return ventures go, it is hard to beat. It is a business that a student, a homemaker, a retired worker, or a young graduate can start without land titles, without bank loans, and without a large plot of land.

The snails are ready. The market is waiting. The question is simply: who is brave enough to start?

Paul Nyametease