About this module
Level 1 taught you to keep snails alive. Level 2 teaches you to keep many of them alive, healthy and profitable.
Who it is for. People who have finished Snail Rearing (Level 1), or can show the same skills. National Proficiency II covers varied work, mostly routine, under limited supervision.
CTVET status. No CTVET standard for snail rearing was found. This module is not a CTVET curriculum. It follows CTVET's format so it can be put forward later. CSIR's Forestry Research Institute leads snail training in Ghana.
Bridge from Level 1: what you already know
- Rat lungworm: cook snails well, wash hands, wash vegetables
- Starve, wash and boil snails; never use salt or pesticides near them
- The two native species: Achatina achatina and Archachatina marginata
- Needs: 25–30 °C, 75–95% humidity, loose damp calcium-rich soil
- Hutch boxes, tyre pens and trench pens; ants kept out with water tins and neem
- Evening feeding with leaves, fruit, calcium and water
- Breeders, egg clutches, hatchling boxes and stocking densities
- A simple two-year plan and a record book
Level 1 did not cover bigger pens, the egg-to-hatchling routine in detail, mixing feed by protein and calcium, disease and predator control, growth records, harvest, rules for selling prepared food, export limits, or a full cash-flow plan. Level 2 covers all of these.
How the module works
Each unit has learning outcomes, performance criteria, the range and the evidence your assessor needs. You are judged Competent or Not Yet Competent. About 70% of the time is practical, following CTVET's Oil Palm programme split of about 30% school and 70% workplace.
Unit 1 · Food safety and the rules for selling snail food
The more snails you handle, the more important clean hands and a good pot become.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 1.1 Control rat lungworm risk | follows hygiene steps on the farm and in the kitchen |
| 1.2 Prepare snails for sale or cooking | purges, cleans and boils snails fully and records it |
| 1.3 Know the rules for selling prepared food | states what the Food and Drugs Authority requires |
Range. Farm, kitchen and market stall. Evidence. Observation; preparation record; oral questions.
Rat lungworm at scale
People can get rat lungworm by eating raw or undercooked snails or slugs, by eating small pieces of them chopped up in vegetables or salads, or from hands contaminated while preparing raw snails. Snail farms do not make this risk go away. Handle each snail as if it could carry the worm.
- Wear gloves, or wash hands with soap and clean water after every handling session
- Keep raw snails and shells away from the place where vegetables are washed
- Wash and cut vegetables on a different board from the one used for raw snails
- Keep children away from the pens and from raw snails
- Boil snails fully before eating or selling them cooked
No Ghana data found. A search found no study of rat lungworm in Ghanaian snails. Studies from Madagascar, Brazil and the Philippines found the worm in snails and rats. Whether the worm is common in farmed Ghanaian snails is not verified. Treat the risk as real until a health officer tells you otherwise. In Hawaii, where the disease is common, the Department of Health says boiling for 3 to 5 minutes, or heating food to 74°C (165°F) inside for at least 15 seconds, can kill the parasite. So always boil for the full five minutes below, never less.
Purge, wash, boil
Agromisa's guide says to purge snails for about four days, wash them in a salt-and-vinegar solution, and boil thoroughly, at least five minutes. That minimum is from a summary of the guide; many cooks boil much longer. Ask your district health officer for the time they accept, and keep to it. Record the date, the number of snails, the purge days and the boil time for every batch.
Rules for selling prepared food
Under Ghana's Food and Drugs Law, food that is sold or distributed must be registered with the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA); a business registration certificate, a lab analysis certificate, a product label and a facility fee are among the basic requirements. Published fees for pre-packaged food were GH¢300 (cottage industry) up to GH¢1,500 (large scale), and registration can take one to two months. The FDA also runs a Progressive Licensing Scheme in stages for cottage and small food makers. Those fee figures were seen in a summary and may be out of date. Ask the FDA Takoradi office for today's fees and what applies to fresh live snails versus packed smoked snails.
Never sell cooked or smoked snails in packs without checking with the FDA first. Selling live snails to a chop bar is different from selling packaged food under your own label. Not verified which exact rules apply to live snails.
Safe kitchen at scale
- Set up two separate boards and tubs: one for raw snails, one for vegetables.
- Purge, wash and boil a batch with your trainer. Time the boil and fill in a batch record.
- Check a classmate's handwashing against the list. Mark any step missed.
Rules visit
Phone or visit the FDA or the district health office. Write down what they say a small seller of cooked snails must have.
Unit 2 · Housing and site layout for a bigger farm
A good layout makes feeding quick, cleaning easy and thieves visible.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 2.1 Plan the layout | draws a farm plan with zones for breeders, hatchlings and growers |
| 2.2 Build stronger housing | builds a block or brick pit with mesh lid and drainage |
| 2.3 Keep the climate right | measures and adjusts temperature, humidity and shade |
Range. A farm of 5–20 pens. Evidence. Farm plan; housing checked by the assessor; climate record.
One farm, three zones
Snails of different ages must be kept apart, because big snails eat hatchlings. Plan three zones: breeders, hatchlings, and growers. Level 1's densities still apply: hatchlings more than 100 per m², growers 30–40, breeders 10–15.
Pit pens
A Ghanaian farmer's advice (from a Farm Radio script) is a pit about 2 m long, 1 m wide and 1 m deep. Line the bottom with two layers of bricks, add more than half a metre of moisture-holding topsoil, lay about 15 cm of dry cocoa leaves, cover with wire mesh, and roof with a thatched shed about 2 m high. Do not use iron sheets: they heat up and kill snails. One pit held roughly 100 snails. Your site may flood: raise the pit above flood level and make sure water drains out.
Keep the climate steady
Snails stop growing below about 70–75% humidity or above 30 °C, and wind dries them out. Shade from a thatched roof or trees, spray the soil when dry, and check twice a day with a thermometer and humidity gauge.
Draw and build
- Measure your demonstration site and draw a plan with three zones, paths, a water point and a night guard point.
- Build a pit or block pen 2 × 1 m with a mesh lid, drainage and shade, with your trainer.
- Fill it with soil and leaf litter. Record temperature and humidity twice a day for a week.
Cost your housing
List the materials for ten pit pens with the local price of each. Add them up.
Unit 3 · Breeding, incubation and hatchling care
A strong farm starts with strong breeders and a quiet, damp nursery.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 3.1 Select breeders | picks mature, healthy snails by weight and records |
| 3.2 Manage eggs and incubation | finds clutches, moves them safely and records hatching |
| 3.3 Raise hatchlings | feeds and houses hatchlings and records survival |
Range. Breeder pens, an incubation box and a nursery. Evidence. Breeding record; hatching and survival record.
Choosing breeders
Snails mature at 10–12 months (A. marginata) or 14–20 months (A. achatina). Choose breeders of at least about 100–125 g, and pick them for the number of eggs laid in earlier seasons and for growth rate. Every mature snail has both sexes and lays eggs. Keep a record for each breeder pen.
Eggs and incubation
A. achatina lays 30–300 eggs per clutch; hatching is usually 2–3 weeks; reported hatching is over 90%. A. marginata lays 4–18 eggs per clutch and takes about four weeks. Snails dig about 20 cm down to lay. Move adults to another pit once breeding starts, so they do not eat the young.
Plan on the lower numbers. One company says 400–500 eggs per snail a year and 95–100% hatching. A research study of A. marginata in housed conditions found clutches of about 5–6 eggs, an incubation of about 36 days and 76% hatching. Use the lower figures when you plan.
Hatchling care
Hatchlings need more humid conditions than adults and should get tender leaves such as pawpaw and cocoyam, with calcium. Keep them separate, check them daily, and give less crowded space as they grow.
Counting survival
Survival rate (%) = snails alive at the end ÷ snails at the start × 100
A study that raised A. marginata in cages for eight weeks recorded 40% mortality and blamed a poor diet and crowding. Your own records will tell you what your farm achieves.
Hatching and survival
A breeder pen produced 6 clutches. Together they held 150 eggs, and 120 hatched. Then 20% of the hatchlings died in the first two months. (1) What is the hatching percentage? (2) How many hatchlings survived?
Nursery routine
- Select five breeders by weight. Weigh and record each one.
- Check the breeder pen weekly for egg clutches. Record date and number.
- Move a clutch (or the adults) as shown by your trainer. Record the hatching date and number hatched.
- Feed hatchlings tender leaves and calcium daily; record survival monthly.
Breeding plan
Draw a 12-month chart for one breeder pen: expected clutches, hatching, nursery, move to growers.
Unit 4 · Feed, protein and calcium
Feed is your biggest regular cost. Use free leaves wisely and never skimp on calcium.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 4.1 Plan a feed week | lists leaves, fruit and calcium for each stage |
| 4.2 Mix a supplement | mixes a feed with enough protein and calcium |
| 4.3 Control waste and cost | weighs feed and removes leftovers |
Range. Breeders, hatchlings, growers. Evidence. Feed plan; feed record; cost sheet.
What the feed should contain
Agromisa recommends feed with about 20% protein and 15–20% calcium of the dry matter. Good foods are pawpaw leaves and fruit, cocoyam, okra and banana peel; calcium comes from crushed oyster shell, ground limestone or eggshell. Do not feed hairy leaves or poisonous plants such as physic nut (Jatropha).
Kitchen waste has a limit. In one study, growth and survival fell as the share of kitchen waste in the diet rose. Free waste is welcome, but do not let it replace leaves and calcium.
Weigh the feed
Feed a measured amount each evening and remove the leftovers each morning. A weekly record of the weight you gave and the weight you took out tells you how much the snails really eat.
Mix and measure
- Write a seven-day feed plan for breeders, hatchlings and growers.
- Put out calcium in a dish for each pen. Record how much is gone in a week.
- Weigh feed given and leftovers for five days in two pens. Work out feed eaten per day.
Free feed map
Draw a map of your area marking farms or markets that give away leaf and fruit waste. Note which days and how much.
Unit 5 · Disease, pests, predators and records
Most losses come from heat, crowding, dirt and thieves. Prevention is cheaper than cure.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 5.1 Prevent disease | keeps pens clean and changes soil on time |
| 5.2 Control pests and predators | uses nets, barriers and guarding |
| 5.3 Keep growth records | weighs snails monthly and works out growth |
| 5.4 Work out feed conversion | divides feed eaten by weight gained |
Range. All pens. Evidence. Health log; growth record.
Disease
A fungal disease passes between snails through physical contact; clean pens, a soil change every three months and no insecticides help prevent it. In crowded pens, suspected Pseudomonas infections cause gut signs. Houseflies can cause fatal sores. No vet treatment guide was found for Ghana. Separate any sick snail and ask the MoFA district office.
Pests and predators
Rats, shrews, frogs, birds, lizards, snakes, ants and thieves all take snails. The parasitic fly Alluaudihella flavicornis completes its life cycle in 25–40 days, so cover pens with fine nylon mesh. Fight ants by changing the soil and watering with ground neem leaves in water; never use chemicals. Human thieves are a main danger: fence, lock and light your site.
Growth records and feed conversion
Weigh a sample of marked or counted snails every month. Agromisa says farmers should record labour, money, materials and feed, plus growth, to see whether the farm pays.
Feed conversion ratio (FCR) = feed eaten ÷ weight gained
A study of A. marginata in cages recorded an average gain of about 0.06 g a day on about 1.86 g of feed a day, and its authors said growth was lower than the standards given by other authors. A high FCR means expensive growth. If your FCR is high, look at feed quality, crowding and heat.
FCR
A pen of snails eats 600 g of feed in a month and gains 24 g of body weight in total. (1) What is the FCR? (2) A second pen eats 450 g and gains 30 g. Which pen uses feed better?
Health round and records
- Inspect every pen: soil, mesh, water, signs of ants, flies or sick snails. Fill in a health log.
- Weigh ten snails from one pen. Record the average. Repeat four weeks later and work out the gain.
- Fence or net a pen against predators and flies.
Theft plan
Write one page: how thieves could get in at your site, and three cheap ways to stop them.
Unit 6 · Harvest, processing, markets, export limits and costing
A snail is only worth what a buyer pays. Know your costs before you name your price.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 6.1 Harvest and hold stock | picks market-size snails and stores them live |
| 6.2 Find and keep buyers | names three buyer types and sets a price |
| 6.3 Explain export limits | states what the evidence says about exporting |
| 6.4 Work out costs and cash flow | finds cost per snail, profit and monthly cash |
Range. A planned or running farm. Evidence. Price list; cost sheet; cash-flow plan.
Harvest and storage
Snails reach market size at about two years if well fed; Ghanaian farmers say 1.5–2 years. Live snails keep for 6–8 weeks in a basket or box layered with sawdust in a cool shaded place, so you can sell when prices are high. Keep breeders for the next cycle; do not sell your best.
Buyers and prices
- Chop bars struggle to get enough snails; farm-gate price was about GH¢15 a snail in 2024.
- Prices rise in the dry season, December to March.
- Takoradi snail prices were not found. Visit your local market and ten buyers.
Export limits
- The United States bans importing and moving Achatina, Archachatina and Lissachatina snails, because they eat many crops and can carry organisms that harm people. That includes your two farmed species.
- A Ghanaian government adviser said the world snail market is worth about US$2 billion and that Ghana has not yet taken a large share.
- A US trade report on Ghana covers imports into Ghana, with FDA and MoFA Veterinary Services involved in health certificates. Ghana's export rules for snails were not found. Europe is an example of what buyers ask. EU food law (also kept in UK law) counts the family Achatinidae, which includes your snails, as "snails" for food. The snails must be killed in a place built for that purpose, snails that die any other way must not be used for food, batches are checked by sampling, and the dark digestive gland (hepato-pancreas) is removed if it might be a hazard. Ghana is on the list of countries for snails in the UK copy of EU Regulation 2019/626, but lists change, so check the current one. Before you promise any exporter a shipment, ask MoFA Veterinary Services, the FDA, and the importing country's rules in writing.
Do not sell or ship snails across a border without written approval. Moving snails can break the importing country's law. Unapproved export of live snails can also spread a pest.
Costing, step by step
- Start-up cost: pens, mesh, tools, breeders.
- Running cost: feed you buy, calcium, water, transport, repairs, any hired help.
- Expected sales: snails sold × price.
- Cost per snail sold = total cost ÷ snails sold.
- Profit = sales − total cost.
- Cash flow: list what you pay and what you receive month by month. A farm with a two-year wait can run out of money long before the first sale.
Your 24-month plan
You build 10 pit pens at GH¢300 each and buy 100 breeders at GH¢15. Running costs are GH¢150 a month for 24 months. After 24 months you sell 1,200 snails at GH¢15. (1) Start-up cost? (2) Running cost? (3) Total cost? (4) Sales? (5) Profit? (6) Cost per snail sold? (7) What is the lowest price per snail that avoids a loss?
Price and cash
- Collect three real prices from buyers in your area.
- Fill in your own cost sheet for a farm of five pens, using today's local prices.
- Draw a cash-flow table for 24 months. Mark when you run short of money and how you will cover it.
Buyer call
Phone or visit two chop bars or market sellers. Ask size wanted, how many a month, price, and how they pay.
Unit 7 · Location, business ideas and marketing yourself
A shady plot near buyers, a clear plan, and a good name will carry a small snail farm.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 7.1 Choose a location | scores a site for a farm with the checklist |
| 7.2 Plan business ideas | lists extra income lines with their risks |
| 7.3 Join up with others | names bodies that can help and a group plan |
| 7.4 Market yourself | sets up a simple online and local presence |
Range. The trainee's planned farm. Evidence. Site report; business plan; marketing page.
Location settings that give good returns
- Shade, damp but well drained soil, out of the wind and above flood level
- No pesticide sprayed nearby
- Close to home, so you can guard against thieves
- Close to buyers: chop bars, markets and homes in Takoradi, Sekondi and nearby towns
- Reachable by wheelchair if you or your workers need it
Business ideas and ingenuity
- Sell breeding stock and hatchlings to new farmers
- Sell cooked snail dishes or kebabs, once FDA rules are met (see Unit 1)
- Train beginners, as CSIR and district assemblies do
- Sell snails live in the dry season from stored stock
- Snail slime for cosmetics is a future idea; the industry is still underdeveloped
Cooperatives and support
- CSIR-FORIG and MoFA train snail farmers.
- A snail farmers' association in Ghana was not found. Ask CSIR-FORIG and your MoFA district office whether one exists in Western Region. If none does, a small group of farmers can still share buying of mesh and calcium, share guard duty and sell together to a bigger buyer. Write the group rules down.
Market yourself
- Make a free WhatsApp Business profile with your photo, location, hours and an automatic greeting.
- Set up a free Google Business Profile so people near you find your farm. Verification can take a few days.
- Keep a portfolio of dated photos of pens and healthy snails. Ask happy buyers for referrals.
- Never claim an approval you do not hold. Snails sold for food must be safe (Unit 1).
Accessibility
Snail farming is quiet, local work that persons with disabilities are being trained in. Ghana's Persons with Disability Act 2006 requires accessible public places and bans job discrimination; an audit found only 14% of public places checked had any retrofitting. Build raised pens and level paths, give written or picture instructions to workers who cannot read, and ask your Assembly about help with tools or training.
Site, plan and page
- Score a real site with the checklist. Write a one-page site report.
- Write a one-page plan: pens, stock, feed, expected sales, three extra income ideas.
- Set up a mock WhatsApp Business profile (or draw it) and a gate sign.
Join up
Find one other person who wants to farm snails. Write what you would share and what you would keep separate.
Glossary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Cash flow | Money paid out and received, month by month |
| Clutch | One group of eggs |
| Competent / Not Yet Competent | The two possible results of a CBT assessment |
| FCR | Feed eaten ÷ weight gained; lower is better |
| Hatchling | A newly hatched snail |
| Purge | Starve snails to empty the gut before cooking |
| Rat lungworm | A worm that can infect people who eat undercooked snails |
| Survival rate | Snails alive at the end ÷ snails at the start × 100 |
Logbook
Copy these pages into an exercise book. Your logbook is part of your assessment evidence.
- Unit 1: batch preparation record; rules visit notes
- Unit 2: farm plan; climate records; housing built
- Unit 3: breeder records; egg and hatching records; survival
- Unit 4: feed plan; feed given and leftovers; cost sheet
- Unit 5: health log; monthly weights; FCR
- Unit 6: three real prices; cost sheet; cash-flow plan
- Unit 7: site report; business plan; marketing page
- Every homework, dated
Self-check quiz
- Name three ways a person can get rat lungworm from snails.
- Why keep raw snails away from where vegetables are washed?
- Who registers food that is sold or distributed in Ghana?
- What material should not roof a snail shed, and why?
- What is the stocking density for growers?
- Which species lays more eggs per clutch?
- How do you work out the survival rate?
- How much protein and calcium should snail feed have?
- Name three ways to stop pests and predators.
- What is FCR and is a high number good?
- How long can live snails be stored before sale?
- Can you export Achatina snails to the United States?
Further reading and sources
Best next reads: Agromisa's Snail Farming; CSIR-FORIG's snail training.
What this module does not cover: greenhouse systems, Ghana export procedures (not found), veterinary treatment of snail disease (not found), snail slime for cosmetics, a Ghana snail farmers' association (not found), and Takoradi snail prices (not found; check locally).
Every source used in this manual is listed, with links, in the Teacher Copy.