In Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigeria
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ANIMAL AND VETERINARY SCIENCES Journal homepage: www.jakraya.com/journal/ijavs ORIGINAL ARTICLE Profitability of Snail ( Archachatina fulica ) in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigeria Ahaotu E.O 1*, Ogu M2 and Lawal M 3 1*Department of Animal Production and Health Technology, 2Department of Agricultural Extension and Management Technology, Imo State Polytechnic Umuagwo, Nigeria. 3Department of Agricultural Education, Federal College of Education Katsina, Katsina State, Nigeria. Abstract Nigeria’s main sources of animal protein are fish, livestock and bush meat. However, livestock production is not sufficient to meet the national meat requirement, and there is the need to develop other sources of acceptable meat in addition to conventional livestock. The snail (Archachatina fulica ) is an important source of meat and is acknowledged to be the preferred meat virtually throughout Nigeria and the West African *Corresponding Author: Sub-Region. The demand for snail meat in Nigeria is high with its accompanying price hikes, making the prospect of snail rearing very bright Ahaotu E.O and encouraging either as a full-time or part-time job. The study therefore recognized the following features of snail production in the Njikoka Local Email: [email protected] Government Area of Anambra State; average stock size of 42 snails, with only 9% being from the wild. Also, three-tier cage made with wood and Received: 15/01/2019 mesh dominated types of cage used by as much as 80%, with concrete cage Accepted: 12/02/2019 and other making up for 18% and 2%, respectively. Ninety percent of the farmers used indoor housing system, and the remaining 10% used outdoor system. Again, 91% and 9% of the respondents utilized family labour and hired labour, respectively. Income generation served as the main motive for snail production by about 63% of the respondent, with about 21% and 9% declaring employment and environmental conservation respectively as the main motive for undertaking the venture. Keywords: Archachatina fulica , Profitability, Njikoka, Income Generation, Snail Production. 1. Introduction Snail meat (Smeat) has been consumed by Snails are bilaterally symmetrical invertebrates humans throughout the world (Ahaotu, 2016). The with soft-segmented exoskeleton in the form of interest in snail farming around the world comes from calcareous shells. In West Africa, snails dwell mostly snails’ high quality protein and medicinal value. in humid forest areas from where these are gathered by Protein from snail meat is said to be very rich in all villagers for consumption and other uses (Onuigbo, essential amino acids such as Lysine, Leucine, arginine 2015). The meat has traditionally been a major and tryptophan. Smeat has been found to be higher in ingredient in the diet of people living in high forest protein content (37 - 51%) compared to that of guinea zone. Agbogidi et al. (2008) also reported that snails pig (20.3%), poultry (18.3%), fish (18%), cattle are high in protein, iron and low in fat. Ahaotu et al. (17.5%), sheep (16.4%) and swine (14.5%). Iron (2015) noted that snails contain almost all the amino content (45 - 59 mg/kg), low in fat (0.05 - 0.08%), acids required by man. Snails belong to a division of sodium and cholesterol level (Bayode, 2009). The the animal kingdom called Mollusca. Mollusca liquid obtained from snail has high iron content and is constitute one of the major divisions of the animal used for treatment of anemia, hypertension and poor kingdom (Ademosun and Omidigi, 1999). There are sight. The formulations from this liquid can be used to probably over 100,000 living species and those animals treat burns, abscesses and other wounds, measles, small have adapted themselves to practically every available pox and some skin diseases (Bayode, 2009). Smeat is environmental condition. recommended in the past for treatment of ulcer and asthma. International Journal of Animal and Veterinary Sciences | Year-2019 | Volume 06 | Pages 06-13 © 2019 Jakraya Ahaotu et al…Profitability of Snail (Archachatina fulica) in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigeria Smeat being rich in calcium, potassium, Adeleke, 2006). Much of the snail marketed in Nigeria magnesium and iron is recommended for a is collected from the wild. hypertensive and pregnant women. It is important In spite of the potentials and advantages of snail source of protein to human diet, additional source of farming, widespread participation in its production by income to farmers. This study will serve as reference farmers is yet to be achieved in Nigeria (Baba and material for snail farmers and create awareness to Adeleke, 2006). Much of the snails marketed in Nigeria prospective snail farmers. Over 80% of Nigerian are collected from the wild. Few farms exist for populace is poor to whom protein products such as: commercial breeding and production of snails. This is Meat is a rare luxury. To avert danger of malnutrition, probably attributed to lack of awareness of the especially among children, the giant African land snail economic potentials of this micro livestock (Ahaotu et is a good substitute of source of protein (Bayobe, al ., 2014; Anyalebechi, 2015). This study therefore 2009). Asheye et al. (2001) reported that snail could be examines the profitability of snail production as an used to reduce of problem of malnutrition. Durunna et economic venture among farmers in Njikoka local al. (2015) reported that snail breeding can start at any government area of Anambra State, Nigeria. The time of the year under domestication, but the time to specific objectives are to describe the features of snail start breeding snail is at the beginning of the rainy farming in the Njikoka Local Government Area of season when feeds of snail are available. The Anambra State, to determine the costs and returns foundation stock may be from the following sources: associated with snail production, to ascertain the snail farmers, research institutes or direct collection profitability and viability of snail production, to from the forest or bush. Edible land snails, though identify and measure the socio-economic determinants hermaphrodite, reproduce by fertilization of two ova of profitability in snail production and to ascertain the when two snails mate and exchange their sperms problems and externalities of snail production. reciprocally. The eggs, about two weeks after fertilization are laid at night in holes dug 5 - 15 cm 2. Materials and Methods deep in the soil. The hatchlings remain in the soil for 3 The study area is Njikoka Local Government of - 5 days after in situ hatching method. Anambra State in Nigeria. Njikoka is a local The land snail of West Africa, which is the government area in Anambra State, with administrative edible snail bred in the study area, belongs to two headquarters in the town of Abagana. Njikoka local closely related general Achatina achatina and government area is in Anambra Central Senatorial Archachatina fulica . The major difference between A. District alongside Awka North, Awka South, Anaocha, achatina and A. marginata is in their shell pattern Idemili North, Idemili South and Dunukofia local shape of shell Apex colour and number of eggs laid per government areas. The map of the study area is shown clutch (Ahaotu et al., 2014). These land snails are in fig 1 below. It lays between latitude 6º10' 0" north of marginal but very successfully terrestrial. When equator and longitude 6 º35 1 and 7º4'0" east of the actively moving they continuously use water. During Greenwich median, in the tropical rain forest zone. The period when water is unavailable, they retreat into their area is characterized by annual rainfall level of more shells and remain inactive until conditions improve. than 2000 mm. The mean annual temperature over Snails feed on a wide variety of food mostly in most of the region is about 27 ºc. the night at dusk, snails are nocturnal and crepuscular. They may feed during the day when it rains or there is very dark cloud (Akintomide, 1997). The advantages of snail farming (heliculture) over most other livestock includes low capital requirements, for its establishment and operation, less demand for professional knowledge, very high fecundity and low mortality, less labour requirement, and availability of ready domestic and international markets among others (Akinbile, 2000). Some constraints that militate against good performance of snail includes genetic constituent, hormonal influence, environmental factors, rearing pattern and inefficient use of resources available to the farmers as was observed by Akinbile (2000). In spite of the potentials and advantages of snail farming Fig 1: Map of Njikoka Local Government Area of (heliculture), widespread participation in its production Anambra state, Nigeria. by farmers has not been achieved in Nigeria (Baba and International Journal of Animal and Veterinary Sciences | Year-2019 | Volume 06 | Pages 06-13 © 2019 Jakraya 7 Ahaotu et al…Profitability of Snail (Archachatina fulica) in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigeria 2.1 Data Collection education. This shows that majority of the respondents Data were collected from primary and (89%) had obtained some level of formal education. secondary sources. Primary data was collected through the use of questionnaires designed to elicit information Table 2: Distribution of respondents by marital status from snail farmers. This is with regards to their socio- economic characteristics, production system, cost of Status No. of Proportion of input used in the production process and the value of Respondents Respondents (%) output among others. However, sixty-one (61) out the Married 94 94.00 seventy five (75) copies of the questionnaires Single 5 5.00 administered were retrieved. This gave questionnaire Widow 1 1.00 recovery percentages of more than eight one percent Field survey: 2015 (81.33%) and is considered an adequate response. Primary data was mainly used for the study, and these 3.4 Religious Affiliation of Respondents were obtained from owners of snail enterprises, drawn Religious affiliation of the respondents is from 7 out the 15 randomly selected towns in Njikoka displayed by Table 4.