Georgia: The Georgian National Food Agency stated on Friday, April 15, that the first batch of Georgian snails had been exported to Italy from Georgia, with the shipment containing up to three tonnes of the product.
The export of snails follows the addition of Georgia to the list of nations that are allowed to export snails to the European market in December.
Moreover, the state authority commented on the development, saying that getting access to the European market for Georgian products was a “significant part” of the country’s market diversification efforts.
The Georgian products which are allowed to the European market include:
- Honey
- Black sea anchovy
- Pet food for dogs and cats
- Specific categories of non-food animal products (leather, wool)
The Georgian National Food Agency took measures to export to the EU market as part of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area agreement signed between Georgia and the EU in 2014 as part of the Association Agreement between the two sides.
What is Heliciculture?
Snail farming, also known as heliciculture, is the technique of producing edible land snails for human use or cosmetic purposes. Both the meat and the snail eggs can be eaten as escargot and caviar, respectively.
Snails are an essential element of many people’s diets in Africa and worldwide, although they are not always affordable or available all year.
Snail breeding can bring in quick cash if the farmer learns the nitty-gritty of modern techniques and the types of species in high demand in Nigeria, Europe, the United States, and other developed countries.
Snail farming is a low-risk and profitable business in terms of cost and time. Unlike many other livestock enterprises, snail farming does not require a large sum of money for start-up and operating costs.
As per the sources, the product of heliciculture belongs to the premium line, and the price of snails per kg exceeds 5 Euros on the foreign market. It’s worth noting that Georgia already can export snails to EU countries.
