Breeding grape snails business plan. Where they need to be grown, the necessary equipment. Breeding: from purchase to sale

Growing snails as a business is a non-standard area for Russia entrepreneurial activity. However, the demand for snail meat and caviar is constantly increasing. The idea of organizing a farm for their cultivation is attractive due to its minimal start-up and regular investments, as well as small efforts to run a business.

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Business Description

This business you can start by growing shellfish in an apartment or on personal plot. In the future, you can expand your own business to organize a full-fledged farm. The peculiarity of the business idea for breeding snails is that the first profit will not be received soon. Since on average it will take about one and a half years for a snail to mature, and in rare cases up to three years. Therefore, entrepreneurs are initially recommended to purchase mature snails, in this way they can slightly reduce the waiting time for receiving the first profit.

Business relevance

Thanks to the popularity of these mollusks, creating a snail farm can be quite a profitable venture.

Circumstances that determine the relevance of a business idea for growing snails:

Current economic sanctions create favorable conditions for the development of domestic production.
The emptiness of this market segment. This circumstance is due to the fact that shellfish farming is a relatively new type of business activity for Russia. Globally, only 60 percent of the demand for this delicacy is met.
Small starting capital and monthly costs.
A source of regular and high income.

Types and characteristics of snail reproduction

Breeds suitable for growing snails for business purposes:

Grape. This is a terrestrial gastropod. The diameter of the shell of a mature mollusk is between three and five centimeters. A kilogram of snail meat is 30-40 individuals. In Europe this type snails are considered the largest and have been used as food since ancient times. Such food was and still is classified as healthy and wholesome.
Arhahatin. They are land gastropods. They live in countries with warm tropical climates. The length of the shell of a mature individual is usually five to ten centimeters, however, some specimens are gigantic in size - 20 centimeters or more. In Russia, they can only be bred in warm enclosures - molluscaria.

Grape snails Snail of the Achatina breed

Since grape snails and Achatina snails are unisexual (hermaphrodites), each individual can reproduce equally. Their mating usually occurs in spring or early autumn. You can expect about 60 eggs from grape snails per year. One clutch of Achatina can contain 300 eggs, and in a year there are five or six of them.

If the mollusk is not happy with something, for example, low temperature, then they may not want to lay eggs. Therefore, it is important to provide them with stable, comfortable living conditions. Incubators are created to raise young animals. As a rule, the broodstock live separately from the young animals.

Living conditions for snails on an artificial farm

Growing snails as a business can be organized in two ways:

on the ground, by organizing an aviary or greenhouse;
indoors, by installing molluscs.

Outdoor farm Outdoor farm Breeding snails in an apartment (molluscarium) Farm in a greenhouse

Growing up on a farm

A farm on a plot of land involves the creation of special enclosures. To grow snails in a personal plot, you will need a shady place, which should be fenced with a fence on the foundation, approximately 20 centimeters deep. This is necessary to protect the shellfish from rodents and other pests that live in the ground and pose a threat to the snails.

The height of the wall is about half a meter to a meter, and its shape is concave so that the pets, when climbing up, fall into the enclosure. The fenced area is covered from above with a metal mesh with small cells. This measure will protect shellfish from birds, reptiles or other animals. Shallow trenches are formed in the pen to collect water, and hills are formed here for the snails to hide from moisture.

Plants that the snails will feed on are planted inside the enclosure, for example:

burdock;
nettle;
wild grapes, etc.

Grape snails hibernate during the cold season (for about three months). During this time, some of the mollusks can be moved to a warm room; this will allow them to grow new offspring faster and recoup the initial investment.

Caring for shellfish in greenhouses allows you to control air temperature and humidity. In greenhouse conditions, snails grow much faster than in the open air. However, this method not suitable for a small farm, since it requires significant physical costs and initial financial investments.

In order to grow about a ton of grape snails during the growing season, you will need the following plot:

at natural nutrition thirty to forty individuals, one square meter of vegetation will be required, the height of which should be at least 10 centimeters;
artificial feeding makes it possible to place up to 200 mollusks on one square meter.

For 20 snails you will need one kilogram of feed or grass; they are also fed with chalk, dry milk, etc.

Caring for snails in an apartment

You will need a room with an area of 20 square meters. It is equipped with racks on which special tanks for snails are installed; they are called molluscaria or terrariums. The entrepreneur will need to imitate the conditions of the natural habitat of future pets. In such an environment, they grow faster because they do not hibernate and the breeding cycle occurs all year round.

Requirements for indoor living conditions for snails on a farm:

Six individual grape snails are housed in one mollusc with a capacity of 50 liters.
It is permissible to plant only one pair of Achatina in one tank (50 liters).
The air temperature in the molluscaria for growing grape snails is 22-23 degrees Celsius, and Achatina - 25 degrees Celsius.
For grape snails, the litter is formed from soil, leaves and coconut fiber, fertilized with calcium (to build a shell) and other elements.
For Achatina, the litter is formed exclusively from coconut fiber/substrate, without soil.
Balanced diet (special feed and natural food are used).
Good room ventilation.
Air humidity is from 80 to 90 percent.
The litter should always be damp and clean (it is changed twice a week).
Sudden changes in humidity and temperature are unacceptable.

Market analysis and target audience

Organizing large-scale production of snail meat will allow us to enter the European market. In this way, large quantities of the finished product can be sold. It is important that the product meets European quality standards.

Growing snails at home should be focused on the domestic market. First of all, these are elite restaurants, producers of semi-finished products, and large grocery stores. In addition to shellfish meat, another delicacy can be supplied to the market - snail caviar. The demand for this product is growing rapidly due to its unique taste and special mushroom flavor.

The demand for snails is not limited to the food industry. An entrepreneur will be able to earn a lot by selling them as raw materials for the production of medical and cosmetic preparations. The mollusks of the Akhatina breed will be especially valuable here.

Shellfish extracts are included in the following medical supplies:

bronchorelaxants;
drugs that restore metabolism;
rejuvenating complexes;
means for restoring potency.

people with problems of the osteochondral system;
people with gastrointestinal diseases;
for pregnant women, as a source of calcium;
for older people as a source of calcium.

Expand target audience market will allow the sale of the product at a price lower than foreign suppliers. Since the domestic manufacturer does not pay customs duties and delivery from abroad, it is able to offer a better price to its consumers. This will attract new customers, who will become not only restaurants and shops, but also ordinary people with average incomes.

Step-by-step instruction

In order for a business project to bring high profits and pay off, it is necessary to carefully consider every point of the business plan for breeding snails.

Once convinced that the implementation of this idea is rational, the entrepreneur should adhere to the following sequence of actions:

Business registration.
Search for shellfish suppliers.
Selecting a place to organize a farm (indoors, outdoors or in a greenhouse).
Redevelopment and/or renovation of premises or construction of a farm on a plot of land.
Farm equipment.
Obtaining permission from the veterinary service.
Shellfish farming.
Search for sales channels.
Advertising.

The preparatory process will take about two months, and the first profit will be received approximately a year after the start of production.

Business registration

Main nuances of the business registration process:

Official registration of business activity in the form of individual entrepreneur or LLC. Creating an LLC is suitable for a medium-sized farm or big size. The IP form is ideal for breeding snails at home.
The classifier code is 01.49.9 “Breeding of other animals not included in other groups.” In this view economic activity includes the item “breeding earthworms, earthen mollusks, snails, etc. on farms.”
A suitable tax system is a simplified one, according to the 6% scheme.
After organizing a farm, the entrepreneur must obtain permission from the veterinary service to conduct this type of activity. A businessman will need quality certificates for each batch of goods.
Obtaining permits from regulatory services (Rospotrebnadzor, Sanitary and Epidemiological Station, Fire Prevention).

Room and location

When breeding snails indoors, the following requirements apply:

area from 20 square meters;
communications: electricity, heating;
no direct sunlight.

The room can be a spacious room in the apartment.

When organizing a snail farm on a plot of land, the following requirements are imposed on it:

preferably a warm climate - this will shorten the hibernation time of mollusks;
the area depends on the number of individuals that are planned to be raised on the farm;
preferably the absence of potential threats - moles, lizards, hedgehogs, shrews, etc.;
availability of utility room.

The video shows the structure of a snail farm in the Moscow region. Filmed by the channel: “Main farming portal FARMER. RU".

Necessary equipment

Let's consider the list of equipment for a farm for breeding grape snails indoors for 30,000 animals.

Name	Approximate prices in rubles
Enclosures for young animals (10 pieces)	10 000
Enclosures for adult snails (80 pieces)	80 000
Containers for young animals (10 pieces)	5 000
Containers for laying eggs (10 pieces)	5 000
Shelving	20 000
Snail boxes for sale (100 pieces)	2 000
Humidifiers	10 000
Thermal mats (100 pieces)	70 000
Other equipment and inventory	18 000
Total	220 000

Containers for snails - from 200 to 1000 rubles Containers and enclosures for snails - from 200 to 1000 rubles Shelving - 20,000 rubles Thermal mat - 700 rubles

Staff

To maintain a snail farm for 30,000 individuals, one worker will be required.

It will perform the following functions:

animal feeding;
cleaning terrariums;
monitoring the growth rate of shellfish;
selection of goods for sale;
control of temperature, humidity and other parameters.

The entrepreneur himself can take upon himself:

functions for generating company reporting;
paying taxes;
establishing sales channels and others.

Otherwise on permanent job You will need to hire a sales manager, and it will be more profitable to outsource accounting.

Promotion and advertising

To effectively sell snail meat and caviar you will need:

Develop a corporate website. This should contain information about the farm, its product, the living conditions of the snails, as well as contact information for partners and buyers. On the website you can provide delivery of goods to order.
Post information about the company and its products on thematic forums and electronic bulletin boards.
Create groups on social networks.
Call or personally visit restaurants and other establishments Catering, with an offer to regularly sell their products. You can also offer snails for sale in supermarkets, hypermarkets and other stores. Large customers should sell goods at a favorable price, ensuring optimal conditions supplies.

Financial plan

Financial planning allows you to determine the income and expenses of organizing a future farm and assess whether this business project is worth pursuing.

Initial Investment

Start-up capital to start a snail farm.

Expenditures	Approximate prices in rubles
Registration of a company and obtaining permits	15 000
Rent for premises (for 2 months)	40 000
Room renovation	10 000
Purchase of farm equipment	220 000
Marketing events	20 000
Purchase of 30,000 heads of mature snails	200 000
Consumables (soil, coconut substrate, feed, etc.)	30 000
Other costs	10 000
Total	545 000

Regular expenses

Monthly investment in the farm.

Income

A stock of 30,000 shellfish will yield approximately one ton of snail meat. The approximate selling price per kilogram is 600 rubles. Thus, by selling the first batch of snails you can earn 600,000 rubles in about six to eight months. By selling caviar, you can still get about 250,000 rubles a year. The average price for 50 grams of caviar is 10,000 rubles.

Thus, revenue for the first year will be 850,000 rubles. In the future, production volumes should be increased, expanding the herd to approximately 50,000 snails. In this case, during the second year of operation of the farm, its income can reach 1,200,000–1,500,000 rubles. As a result, the monthly profit will average 50,000 rubles.

Risks and payback

Risk factors for snail business:

extinction of snails due to non-compliance with the conditions of their maintenance, diseases, etc.;
extermination of mollusks by their enemies - moles, hedgehogs, birds, etc. (during street breeding);
slow growth of snails due to poor living conditions;
problems with sales, since snails are an exotic product for Russian consumers.

The payback period for a snail farm is about two years.

There are many seafood lovers among people, especially popular are octopus, squid - cephalopods, or shrimp, mussels, crayfish and crabs. Gastropod mollusks are much less consumed, and snail farming currently only benefits those who collaborate with restaurants offering Greek, Spanish, Italian or French cuisine.

Snail as food

Gastropods carry a shell on their back, there are a great many types of them, but people call them all the same - snails. In many European countries, this is not even a delicacy, but a daily food, which it became in the distant Middle Ages, and probably not because of a good life. However, now the most fastidious gourmets feast on them. There is evidence that even in Ancient Greece, snail breeding was a common profession. It's much easier than growing vegetables, wheat or cattle.

In Russia, this food is still exotic; in Russian cuisine, the meat of not only snails, but also “sea reptiles” is practically not used. But restaurants of certain world cuisines are increasingly appearing in our country, including such delicacies, and therefore there is a demand for snail farming. Today you can easily buy a kilogram bag of gastropod meat, although it cannot be said that the demand for it is completely satisfied. This article is intended for those who want to occupy this almost empty niche.

Start

Snail farming has a huge advantage over any other food business. They can be grown both in a rural house or in a country house, as well as in a city apartment. To start breeding edible snails, you need to register a business entity, where you indicate code 10.20 (OKPD 2) - “Canned and processed fish, shellfish and crustaceans.”

Then you need to get advice from a veterinary service with subsequent permission. This is not free, so you need to have at least fifty thousand rubles in your pocket to complete all sorts of paperwork. Breeding and growing snails is a regulated industry where there are various technical regulations due to the use of water resources. Legislative acts in this case may differ significantly by region - somewhere this activity is limited, somewhere it is encouraged. But additional permits will probably be needed, since snail breeding is supposed to be a business.

Kinds

Most likely, the meat of the first batches of shellfish will have to be sent to a laboratory, where it will be carefully checked, and based on the results of this check, a permit will be issued. This is exactly the practice that exists in our country, regardless of the region. The most interesting thing is that snails are most often sold alive. They are not fed for several days for purification, then they are offered to the buyer in the same way - alive. Breeding edible snails is not a very difficult task, since these animals are unpretentious. Yes, and you can keep them with almost complete absence hassle.

Traditionally, the breeding of grape snails - Helix pomatia - is in demand. This is the most common species, spreading throughout the central and southern territories Russian Federation. They are quite large and nutritious, and they have been eaten since antiquity in Western countries. Achatina fulica is a different species, and breeding Achatina snails is much more difficult, unlike grape snails. These are residents of southern latitudes, and natural survival in our harsh climate is completely impossible for them. If it lived in the nature of European countries with a mild climate, local residents would not be happy - it is an extremely fruitful pest of agricultural plants.

Differences

It is not difficult to distinguish these species from each other. Achatina is much larger, but grape meat is more nutritious and healthy. In terms of complexity, a farm for breeding Achatina snails is no different from one that specializes in grape snails, according to at least Initially, in terms of cost and content, they are almost equivalent. The only and fundamental difference is that if the snails are kept on fresh air, then Achatina, like Africans, will not survive our winter, but grapevines will hibernate, and therefore they are not afraid of any frost.

Most often, both types are bred on farms, this diversifies the assortment. This also includes breeding ampularia snails. There are many other species that are quite suitable for food: Sphincterochila candidisima, Theba pisana, Cepæa nemoralis, Iberus alonensis, Otala vermiculata, Otala lactea, Archelix punctata, Helix lucorum, Helix hortensis, Helix aperta, Helix adanensis and many others. However, all of them are quite difficult to obtain, some are even exotic. And since few buyers in Russia understand the types of snails, demand may not appear. However, if the opportunity arises, farmers also breed rare species.

Time

The snail is a leisurely creature, and this manifests itself in everything. She not only moves without haste, but also matures extremely slowly. That is why its transformation into an edible individual will have to wait. You will especially need patience when watching snails reproduce. The laying of eggs can be delayed for up to a year or more if the conditions of detention cause the snail to have any suspicions and uncertainty about the future. After fertilization, she will safely carry the biomaterial inside herself for as long as desired.

In the best case, if everything goes according to plan, you need to wait six months for offspring. At worst - up to three years. Artificial housing slightly speeds up this process: the snail becomes edible after a year and a half. Breeding grape snails in natural conditions will probably take all three years. That is why wise farmers immediately purchase sexually mature, adults, and almost immediately receive offspring. Snails are hermaphrodites, and therefore every single snail lays eggs, and this is the most interesting thing about how snails reproduce.

Purchase

The vine snail produces approximately sixty eggs per year. Achatina are more advantageous in this regard - they have a clutch of up to one hundred and sixty eggs. If a farmer decides to breed grapes, then he needs at least eight hundred pieces. Today - about fifty rubles per individual, sexually mature ones are more expensive. However, it is better to buy the entire batch in bulk - a whole breeding stock. Only two hundred Akhatins are enough to start a business.

A grape snail weighs about fifty grams, and Achatina - all seventy, so it is better to take snails not individually, but by weight. Professional breeders sell this way, but amateurs usually sell in small quantities and individually. Many people give away snails for free because they have proliferated too much in the aquarium, but such a purchase has little prospects: it will take a lot of time to grow, and food for snails is not free.

Collection

Shellfish can be collected in the garden after spending one to two months. The garden, of course, must be very large, or even better - a vineyard. This will require considerable patience, since to start a business you need eight hundred grape snails, and they do not live next to each other. They are also hiding! You will have to walk and crawl, bend over and jump, which, in principle, is good for health, but extremely tiring.

And, of course, Achatina in wildlife and you won’t be able to find a single copy in any garden in Russia. Therefore, it is better to spend a little time searching for wholesale, find a good supplier, buy adult selected snails, and then all that remains is to watch their mating games. It is unlikely that the purchase will require more than ten thousand rubles, but the hassle of collecting it can be avoided. As a result, time is saved, which is also money.

Pests

Breeding snails in an apartment and in a natural environment is very different. Farmers usually set aside a separate, completely fenced area (otherwise the inhabitants will slowly but irrevocably crawl away in different directions). Fifty square meters is enough. This area is equipped as an ordinary kindergarten. In addition to the danger of snails spreading if their habitat is not sufficiently isolated, there are many others.

In the natural environment there are a lot of inhabitants who are not averse to eating snails. First of all, these are birds. A scarecrow is unlikely to completely secure this business, but a canopy will definitely help, maybe just a tarpaulin one. Birds are afraid of anything that looks like human habitation. Many species of large beetles also feed on snails. If you fight them with pesticides, you can poison the snails, so beetles are perhaps the most serious enemy on the way to starting a business.

Animals

If the fencing is made with high quality, the main natural enemy will not be on site. This is a hedgehog. However, moles appear from underground and also consider snails a delicacy. There is no way to cover the ground with anything, since the snails themselves need soil, and moles will have to be fought in some other way, of which, in principle, there are many.

The fence at the top should be rounded inward so that lovers of verticals - snails - will never escape to freedom. Some farmers instead use a more effective method - they apply a weak electric current (no more than ten volts, otherwise the snail will have to be eaten immediately, it will be completely cooked). The mollusks crawl to the top of the fence, receive a small shock and fall back.

Conditions

Fresh air is only suitable for grape snails, since Achatina cannot withstand temperatures below 3-4 degrees Celsius, they are not trained in suspended animation by nature, and therefore simply die. Grape snails, on the contrary, tolerate cold absolutely well.

True, three months of hibernation is a loss for a businessman, since the snails sleep buried in the ground and do not reproduce. But in warm weather everything is fine with them. But we must remember that allocating an area for them and protecting them from pests is not everything. They definitely need plants on the site, special composition soil that is regularly updated and dug up.

What to feed snails?

You shouldn’t hope for a fruit harvest from this area, because the snail eats literally everything with an appetite. Let the weeds grow there, the shellfish eat them with pleasure, and the best thing is to plant wild grapes, they are unpretentious and the best food for snails. What else to feed snails? When fertilizing the soil, they throw it into the enclosure weeds, just mowed, not forgetting about mineral fertilizers - without calcium, shell formation does not occur. It is imperative to moisten the area and avoid direct sunlight (again, a tarpaulin canopy will help).

In the apartment

Of course, in an apartment, mollusks grow almost twice as fast, and they don’t even sleep in winter. Achatina will generally feel at home in Africa. However, breeding snails in an apartment at the initial stage will cost much more. Firstly, you need a fairly spacious room, at least twenty square meters, where the molluscaria will be located (terrariums are used, but with independently made filling).

Here you can create conditions for the reproduction of any species of snails, even African ones. Temperature environment should be at least twenty-three degrees Celsius, humidity should also be kept at high level. The soil must be saturated with calcium and dirt (molluscs readily eat it, since it contains essential nutrients for their bodies). nutrients). Feed is a must plant origin- again leaves and weeds. Two or three times a week, the molluscaria is cleaned with detailed digging of the soil, otherwise the snails will die, suffocating in the rotting environment.

Caviar

Home breeding is good because it makes it much easier to obtain valuable snail caviar. Entrepreneurs usually reserve one out of ten molluscs for mating purposes in order to freely reach the clutches that the snails bury in the soil and not disturb the other inhabitants. Collecting caviar is a rather labor-intensive process, but it sometimes brings in more money than shellfish sold to restaurants.

By the way, you can sell snails not only to restaurants. Pharmaceutical companies willingly buy them, any kind, even small and completely illiquid ones. Gastropods are used in the production of the drug helicidin, the basis for cough medicines. Also, some chemical industries are interested in such a purchase - they need shellfish to extract lectins from them, used in industry. If you are lucky enough to get such orders, the farmer (entrepreneur) will receive a guaranteed income (and even somewhat more significant than when working with restaurants).

Such a non-traditional type of business for Russia as snail farming could become a very interesting business. We are talking about grape snails (from the Latin Helix pomatia), which are also called large-growing, apple, moon, edible, roof snails, etc.

Main consumers of this delicious product in such countries as France (annual import of about 6 thousand tons), Sweden, Belgium, Greece, Spain, Italy. According to research results, the total annual product need is more than 100 thousand tons. At the same time, demand is satisfied by manufacturers only by 60-70%.

In the conditions of our country, it is undoubtedly difficult to claim high demand for this product, but even less demand exists, and manufacturers could become regular suppliers for Escargot French restaurants and for industrial enterprises producing semi-finished products for markets, beating French and other foreign ones in price terms farms, for which transport and customs costs are a mandatory item of expenditure.

In addition, there is such a little-known line of business as sale of snail caviar, which has unique taste qualities (mushroom taste) and recently, after the development of a salting method (Fr. D. Pieru) is a delicacy.

Another effective direction for selling products is medical industry. Snails serve as an effective raw material base for the production of medications with a different spectrum of action, from restoring metabolism, rejuvenating the body, bronchorelaxants to eliminating problems with potency (very strong aphrodisiacs are produced from snails). Snail meat promotes the regeneration of osteochondral tissue, helps with gastrointestinal diseases, and is recommended for pregnant women as natural spring calcium.

Grape snail meat contains protein (10%), fats (30%), carbohydrates (5%), vitamin B6, B12, calcium, magnesium, iron.

In general, for those interested, we will describe the main points of building and maintaining a snail farm.

Composition of the main fixed and variable costs for organizing a snail farm per 1 ton of output:

Registration of a legal entity or individual entrepreneur, including opening a bank account, registration, obtaining all permits (described in detail earlier);
A plot of land with suitable vegetation (above 10 cm) of a size proportional to the planned production volumes (with natural feeding, 1 sq. m = 30-40 snails (approx. 1 kg), and with artificial feeding, 1 sq. m = 200 snails) on ownership or lease rights;
Premises for young animals (18 sq. m) and broodstock (4 sq. m);
Shelves for snails (4-5);
Boxes for snails for sale (8 pcs. 1x0.5 m);
Cuvettes for young animals (150 pieces, 0.1 mg each);
Ditches for laying eggs (200 pcs. 12x8x6 cm);
Aviary for young animals (400 sq. m);
750 adult broodstock (15 kg);
Feed (milk powder approx. 15 kg, mixed feed approx. 1350 kg or greens; chalk approx. 300 kg). For 40 snails, the consumption is 2 kg of feed.

Technological process very simple.

For propagation, snails are placed in pairs in an appropriate container.

Snails are hermaphrodites, but mating is necessary for fertilization. It usually occurs from March to May (after hibernation). Then comes the laying of eggs by both individuals of the pair; after laying, the uterine individuals are transferred to an enclosure, and the eggs are placed in an incubator. After 6 weeks, the young animals can already be transferred to an adult enclosure. The entire process of reproduction and rearing occurs practically without the participation of the breeder. The only functions of the owner of a snail farm are complementary feeding, protection from “predators” (for example, worms, insects, shrews, lizards, moles, hedgehogs), as well as container-enclosure movement of individuals, depending on the stage of the reproduction and rearing processes.

Productivity Grape snails produce about 40-60 eggs from each uterine individual per year.

Growth cycle approximately 1.5 years (from April to August next year).

There are varieties of snails with a much shorter maturation cycle. For example, Helix Aspera Maxima (Tunisia) ripens in 6 months.

For implementation individuals weighing 20 g and measuring 5 cm are received. Selling price 3-5 euros per kilogram. Prices are dictated by the exchanges of such “snail giant” countries as France, Spain, and Italy. But you need to be prepared for the fact that at the start-up stage it will be difficult to reach this level (in terms of production volume, first of all) and therefore there may be a need to sell snails to buyers at bargain prices of 1.5-2 euros per kg.

Generally, payback period of the project is approx. 1.5 years.

Profitability from 100 kg of broodstock about 4 tons of product in 1.5 years, in terms of price 360 thousand rubles. This is subject to effective distribution arrangements being reached.

* The calculations use average data for Russia

Many people eat seafood, one of which is squid and octopus meat. They are cephalopod mollusks, characterized by a simple body structure, while much less known is the consumption of relatives of these animals - gastropod mollusks, which wear a shell on their body and, for simplicity, are united under the common name snail. However, in some European countries (Spain, Greece, Italy, France, Switzerland) such animals are not even a delicacy, but have served as food for people for many centuries - even in Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, snails were eaten by different segments of the population due to their simplicity receiving and preparation.

For Russia, such management seems exotic due to the non-use of snail meat in Russian cuisine. With the spread of restaurants dedicated to certain cuisines of the world, snails began to be used in cooking, so there is a certain demand for such meat in Russia. Players have already begun to appear on the market selling kilogram bags of this delicacy, but the demand has not yet been satisfied full degree, so there is an opportunity to fill an empty niche.

The advantage of such an undertaking is the possibility of breeding snails both in rural areas, and in a city apartment. To start, you will need to register a business entity indicating the code (OKPD 2) 10.20 Processed and canned fish, crustaceans and molluscs.

After this, you should contact the veterinary service for advice and permission; The production and sale of snail meat is regulated by technical regulations for the meat of fish, echinoderms, crustaceans and mollusks, but since in legal act It is assumed that animals obtained from water resources will be used, difficulties may arise, because it is also worth taking into account local legislative acts that may limit or, conversely, simplify the conduct of one or another type of business. It is better to have at least 50 thousand rubles in reserve for all registration in case additional permits are required.

It can be said with a high degree of probability that shellfish meat will have to be transferred to a veterinary laboratory, which will issue certificates for the sale of meat based on the results of the inspection - a similar practice is carried out throughout this country, without exception by region. Interesting feature is that snails, as a rule, are sold alive, perhaps without pre-feeding for several days in order to clean them.

Two types of snails are traditionally eaten - Helix pomatia and Achatina fulica. First in Russian practice are called grape snails and are a common species that is widely distributed in the southern and central territories of Russia. Very unpretentious and easy to breed and maintain animals, while the individuals are quite large and nutritious. It is the grape snail that has been consumed by humans for many centuries.

Ready ideas for your business

An alternative to it, the giant Achatina, traditionally lived in countries with warm climates, where it was eaten by the natives. Her survival in natural conditions Russian climate is impossible, while in some European countries it can become a real disaster for Agriculture- These are plant pests. It is not difficult to distinguish these types externally; grape varieties are more valued due to their more healthy and nutritious meat. They do not differ in the complexity of breeding and the initial cost of the brood stock, but if kept in a private house in the fresh air, Achatina may not survive the winter, since they are African animals; grape snails hibernate during cold weather. However, Achatina is on average somewhat larger than its grape counterparts, and for variety it is quite possible to breed both of them - just a variety of them.

In fact, there are other species that are hypothetically suitable for food consumption - Helix adanensis, Helix aperta, Helix hortensis, Helix lucorum, Archelix punctata, Otala lactea, Otala vermiculata, Iberus alonensis, Cepæa nemoralis, Theba pisana, Sphincterochila candidisima and some others , but these species are more exotic, which means they are difficult to obtain, and they will be bought with less interest. But as an even greater expansion of the assortment, it is worth considering the possibility of breeding them.

The most serious obstacle in such an undertaking is the long period of maturation of the snail. This mollusk is slow not only in its movement, but also in transforming into an edible individual, and in laying eggs - under not very favorable circumstances, the snail may not produce offspring for up to a year after fertilization, retaining and carrying the resulting biomaterial within itself. For a mollusk to be ready for consumption, it must take from 6 months to 3 years; for the common grape snail, this period is on average one and a half years when kept artificially and three years when reared in nature. Therefore, it is best to purchase adult, sexually mature individuals, which will allow you to immediately obtain offspring.

Since snails are hermaphrodites—bisexual creatures—every animal lays eggs. Achatina breed more intensively - up to 160 eggs per year, the usual grape snail - only 60. If it was decided to breed only grape snails, then you will need about eight hundred animals, 50 rubles each (mature large specimens are especially expensive, but you can buy the whole batch wholesale much cheaper - about eight thousand instead of forty). Each Achatina will cost 100 rubles (here, of course, wholesale purchases of broodstock are also preferred), but only 200 individuals are needed. The weight of grape snails is on average 50 grams, Achatina - up to 70, so it is better to buy mollusks “by weight” from professional breeders of such animals; Pet lovers who keep snails as pets will ask for money for each shellfish without offering large quantities. However, among such lovers there are many who want to give away the resulting offspring for free, since there is simply nowhere to put the animals, but this method of obtaining a tribe is not promising - they will often give away young snails that still need to grow up, leisurely eating food that is not free throughout the year.

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The simplest way, it would seem, is to go to the garden and collect mollusks by hand, only the garden must be large, and the businessman must be patient - it is impossible to find Achatina in Russia in the wild in principle, and 800 grape snails are clearly not sitting in a row waiting for a hunter. In general, after trying and spending a little time searching for a wholesale supplier, you can purchase future fathers and mothers of all offspring for a maximum of 10 thousand rubles, and both large Achatina and their smaller grape relatives will be available.

Breeding snails in their natural habitat and in an apartment differs significantly. If we take into account farming activities related to the maintenance of gastropods, then an area of no more than 50 m2 will be required, which can be sufficiently equipped as a simple garden. The only condition is a completely fenced area so that the leisurely inhabitants do not spread out and the elimination of all possible lovers of snails. You can get rid of bird attacks either by installing a transparent canopy or placing a scarecrow on the site (a very dubious method, but sometimes it works), but even a simple canopy will significantly reduce the attacks of birds, which do not really like to get close to human habitation.

The biggest problem may be some species of large beetles that also like to eat snails; baiting with pesticides can kill the breeding offspring themselves, so it may be necessary to select the optimal poison that will spare the mollusks while destroying insects.

A good fence should get rid of another natural enemy - the hedgehog; but there will remain the possibility of another attack from underground - moles. You cannot cover the ground with boards; the snails themselves need soil, so if holes are discovered, the moles will have to be driven away by force. The fence itself should be curved inward at the top so that snails who like to crawl on a vertical surface cannot escape to freedom. Even more effective way there will be a supply of weak electric current(about 4 volts, maximum - 12, more means cooking the snail ahead of time), launched along the top of the fence - the mollusks will receive a shock and fall back.

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As mentioned above, only grape snails can be bred in the fresh air; particularly resistant Achatina can withstand temperatures down to two degrees Celsius, but, due to the lack of the ability to undergo anabiosis, with further cooling they begin to die. The grape snail will simply hibernate for three months - this is one of the disadvantages of keeping mollusks in the garden; winter time animals burrow into the soil, climb into the shell and sleep, respectively, without leading an active (as active as a snail can be) lifestyle and, most importantly, without reproducing. However, simply planting mollusks on a plot of land will not be enough; you need not just the presence of plants, but also a special composition of the soil, which must also be regularly updated, at least by simple digging. Providing snails with a fruit-bearing garden means losing the harvest; therefore, the optimal solution would be to place the animals in an area covered with weeds; the ideal is to plant wild non-agricultural grapes.

To fertilize the soil, you need to add freshly cut weeds to the enclosure equipped for shellfish, and also add calcium fertilizers to form the snail shell. The area must be constantly moistened and protected from direct rays of the sun - another reason to put up at least a tarpaulin canopy. The advantage of such maintenance is the savings on food, which the mollusks will receive from weeds and other useless plants; all that remains is to periodically feed and fertilize the soil with minerals. You will need no more than a thousand rubles per month for such events. It is also worth remembering that in natural conditions snails grow longer.

Growing shellfish in a city apartment has its own characteristics. Snails are good because they can be located in all three spatial dimensions, so a room can have an area of 20 m2, in which there will be about 10 molluscaria (in fact, this is the same terrarium, only with a certain filling, made independently) of 10 thousand each. Here you can keep any species, including the more valuable African Achatina; The main thing is to create conditions for the snails that are close to natural. The most important indicators are ambient temperature and humidity. Grape snails will be pleasantly surprised by the absence of winter and the opportunity not to fall into suspended animation and will joyfully increase the number of mating periods, while Achatina will simply believe that they are in their native Africa. The average temperature is about 23 degrees Celsius, a regime that most species like, not just these two. The soil should be saturated with calcium, as well as dirt - mollusks naturally feed on it, receiving the nutrients they need. Food of plant origin is suitable, the same weeds and just plant leaves. It is constantly necessary to moisturize the molluscar; when dry, the snails become sluggish and lethargic (how lethargic a snail can be), and then they die dissatisfied. The necessary cleaning of the molluscarium by digging up the soil once every 3 days helps with hydration; If you neglect cleaning, animals will suffocate in their own waste, mucus and rotting food.

Such breeding is good for the possibility of obtaining valuable snail caviar; you can find it during the mating season of mollusks, which caring parents instilled into the kidney. If you select one molluscarium for the mating games of snails, having first planted them there, then you can remove a considerable number of clutches at the lowest cost and without disturbing the animals in other molluscaria. Snails will not be able to leave the confines of their home only if the lid is tightly closed (gastropods are relatively strong creatures), in which they need to do maximum amount holes for air access. The holes should be no larger than 5 millimeters so that the smallest newly born snails do not crawl out either. The monthly maintenance of shellfish in an apartment will be about 5 thousand rubles, which will be spent on public utilities and food

The largest individuals remain for breeding, the rest are sent for their intended purpose of breeding. Packages of live snails are valuable, but this is only possible in the case of established trade. Shellfish can be kept without food for several days, after which they are killed and discarded, flash frozen and sold as is. The value of such a product will be much lower, but it will not be necessary to keep living beings together with the dead and those that have begun to decompose while waiting for a purchase. In the case of grape snails, you can take advantage of the natural instincts of the mollusks: to do this, you need to artificially lower the temperature in the room so that the animals think that winter is coming, hide in their shells and burrow into the soil. Then the snails are removed from the ground, sorted into kilogram bags and sent to freezer(in general, no more than two of 10 thousand each will be needed) awaiting delivery to the consumer’s desk.

In the case of farm breeding, such a trick will not work and is only possible with the onset of real frost. In any case, there will be a year and a half to get serious about future product sales channels; These include large hypermarkets, specialized restaurants in major cities and buyers in other countries. Export may be the most profitable direction, but concluding such agreements will require the greatest effort. You will have to spend money on ordering packaging and labels, which will amount to an average of 10 rubles for a one-kilogram package sold for 200 rubles. It will be possible to sell up to 4 thousand snails per month, which will amount to 200 kilograms of products or 40 thousand income. It can be increased if you are closely involved in the labor-intensive collection of caviar.

When farm The profitability of such a business can reach 90%; when breeding in an apartment, it is slightly lower. The payback, however, will be at least two years, a year and a half of which will be spent just waiting for the first batch of the delicacy.

One more promising direction is cooperation with pharmaceutical companies, gastropods are used in the production of helicidin, which in turn is the basis of some cough-relieving drugs. Chemical industries will be interested in purchasing snails due to the release of lectins from them, which are used in some industries. Moreover, such cooperation can generate even more significant income than orders for culinary purposes, and for sales you can use illiquid individuals who, for various reasons, cannot go to food industry. However, in such an undertaking there is a risk of being left completely without buyers, because the product is exotic in its own way and not very in demand, and Russia is not a very big consumer of such delicacies. Therefore, it is especially important to carefully study the market before starting.

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Snail farming is relatively the new kind entrepreneurial activity, so there is no strong competition in it yet. On the international market, the demand for this unique product is over 120 thousand tons, and the supply covers the demand by only 60%. This business does not require large start-up capital; if you take its organization seriously, it can regularly generate good income.

The value of grape snails

Grape snails are predominantly common in Russia; they live in valleys, vineyards, forests and other areas where moisture is present. These specimens are very unpretentious and easily adapt to new conditions, thanks to which they can live and reproduce not only in their natural environment, but also in captivity.

Farmers often raise snails specifically for restaurants. Shellfish meat is considered a delicacy product that is highly valued in European countries, for example, in France and Italy. It not only has a unique taste, but also contains many healthy vitamins and microelements.

Snails are also widely used in the medical and cosmetics industries. They serve as raw materials for production medicines and are used for the manufacture of various anti-aging products.

Stages of building a business

In order for the project to bring high profits in the future, you must first draw up a business plan for breeding grape snails. It includes several stages:

Registration as individual entrepreneur or legal entity.
Choice of taxation system.
Obtaining permission to conduct activities from the veterinary service.
Search for product suppliers. If we talk about where to buy grape snails for breeding, then, as a rule, they are ordered from producers from Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Tunisia or Moldova.
Searching for a site for organizing a farm.
Shellfish farming.
Search for distribution channels and sale of products.

Breeding and growing snails

For the full growth of snails, a balanced diet is very important to promote weight gain. They are fed with special feed containing useful nutrients. In addition, shellfish meat will acquire a more refined aroma and taste if natural food is present in their diet.

Grape snails are hermaphrodites and breed between March and May. For this purpose, they are placed in pairs in special containers. After the individuals lay eggs, they are transferred to an enclosure, and the eggs are placed in an incubator. After 6 months, the young animals are placed with adult snails.

Total duration production process is about 1.5 years. Shellfish can be sold after their length reaches 5 cm and their weight is about 20 kg.

Financial calculations

To open a business you will need relatively small financial costs:

rent land plot– from 20,000 rubles;
premises rental – from 10,000 rubles;
purchase of snails (750 pcs.) - from 5,000 rubles;
purchase of equipment and inventory – from 10,000 rubles;
purchase of feed - from 20,000 rubles.

The cost of snails per kilogram is from 90 rubles. When selling 4 tons of products in 1.5 years, the income will be 360,000. Maintaining 750 individuals will require 1,500 rubles per month. With the deduction of current expenses, the net monthly profit will be from 20,000 rubles.

Total:
Starting capital: from 85,000 rubles;
Monthly profit: from 20,000 rubles.
Payback period: from 17 months.

Required documents

To open a business you will need the following documents:

product quality certificate from the veterinary service;
permission from the SES;
permission from the fire inspectorate.

Breeding snails can be done in several ways:

Growing indoors. This method makes it possible to carry out the breeding cycle throughout the year.
Breeding shellfish in open-air enclosures. This option is well suited for industrial cultivation, and allows you to subsequently expand your business.
Caring for pets in greenhouses. With this method it is convenient to control the air temperature and humidity.

To set up a farm for growing grape snails, it is recommended to choose a plot with dimensions of 18 sq.m. The area of the room in which they will be located must be at least 20 square meters. m. The room must be provided with high-quality ventilation. The recommended air humidity is from 85 to 90%; A temperature regime- from + 20 to + 22 C. Sudden changes in temperature and humidity can negatively affect the condition of shellfish, so air humidifiers should be installed in the room and thermal mats should be laid.

Equipment

To grow snails you will need the following equipment:

ditches for juveniles;
enclosures with an area of 400 m2;
racks;
containers for laying eggs (12*8*6 cm);
boxes for shellfish intended for sale (1*0.5 m)

Sales of products

If business owners plan to sell snail caviar and meat, they should establish business relationships with various catering establishments: cafes, restaurants and grocery supermarkets. Products can also be supplied to commercial companies that produce gourmet canned shellfish. Snails often act as raw materials for the production of cosmetics and medical supplies, so entrepreneurs need to pay attention to these areas.

It should be borne in mind that snails are quite exotic products. There are not very many consumers of such delicacies in Russia; in order not to be left without buyers, you need to be very careful in finding distribution channels.

Growing snails at home

Many people are interested in whether it is possible to breed snails for sale at home for aspiring businessmen? Growing shellfish in your apartment will be a convenient solution. For this purpose, you can use small terrariums; add a layer of soil or sand to the bottom of the containers, and cover them with a lid with a mesh covering on top, ensuring good ventilation.