Newly introduced:
Snail farming

Production to be exported exclusively to Italy

Snails were recently introduced to the agriculture sector. Eight new farms are expected to open in different regions in the coming few months, after seven farms were established last year in the North and Bekaa.

According to Naufal Daou, General Manager of Lebanese Treasures Land (LTL), a company specialized in building snail farms and growing snails, each dunum (1,000 square meters) of snail agriculture requires around a $6,000 investment. He said that this agriculture is feasible, as profits from each dunum range from $2,000 to $3,000, per year and it does not require a lot of care. In addition, weather conditions are very suitable for this agriculture.

The total space of land for snail agriculture is 300 dunums (300,000 m2) in the local market. Every dunum produces a ton of snails, per year. The price of a ton of snails is estimated at $5,500. The total production is expected to reach 300 tons this year. Snail farming takes 18 months to begin producing.

LTL signed an agreement last year with the Istituto Internazionale di Elicicoltura and Euro-Helix, both Italian companies specialized in building snail farms, growing and selling them. According to this agreement, LTL is to become the exclusive representative of these Italian companies in Lebanon and the Arab countries, excluding Tunisia. LTL will give farmers the technical knowhow to grow them and provide them with the snails, seeds, pesticides, and fertilizers required for the vegetation to be planted as food for the snails. Daou said that all local farmers are working according to Italian standards.

In return, the Italian parties must purchase the entire local production from the farmers that are growing snails under LTL’s control. Daou said: “Farmers will be assured that all their produce will be marketed, without facing problems in the standards.”

Daou Said: “Snail agriculture was adopted as an alternative to the hashish agriculture in the North and Bekaa regions. This step aims at boosting rural development.”