Solution
(a)(i) Importance of rearing snail
(i)Snails provide excellent food for many people. The meat of snail is a good source of protein (12-16%) and irons (45-50 mg/kg). It contains almost all the amino acids needed by the human body.
(ii)Snail shells can be processed and used in poultry feeds as a source of essential minerals such as calcium and phosphorus, etc.
(iii) There is a wide market for snail. Farmers can sell them locally to provide extra income or they can export them to other countries to earn foreign exchange for the country.
(iv) Snail farming can provide lucrative employment to many unemployed youths.
(v) Snail farming can prevent hazards such as snake and scorpion bites, which is often associated with picking of snails in the forest.
(vi) Snails have medical value. Glandula substances from edible snails have
been proved to cause agglutination of certain bacteria hence could be of value against a variety of ailments including whooping Coughs.
(vii) The bluish liquid obtained from the shell when the meat is removed is believed to be good for infant development.’ The high iron content is considered protein for the treatment of anaemia.
(viii) Snail meat is also thought to certain aphrodisiac property (i.e. increase libido and sex drive)
(ii) Why some ethnic group considers the eating of snail as a taboo
•Some ethnic groups believe that snail is a meat for the gods.
•Some also believe that snails feed on contaminated feeds and from unhygienic environments.
•Some believes are of historical antecedent and other superstitions.
•Some believe that eating snail bring bad omen to the people (like infertility).
b) i) Processing snail for the market
• Snail meat is processed by parboiling it for about 3 minutes with the whole animal in a shell.
•When the shell cools, the meat can be pulled out easily.
•The boiling also removes the slimy substance found in edible snails.
•The meat is then washed in warm water to remove the remaining slime or by washing the meat in lime juice.
•The meat can later be cut into sizeable chucks for further cooking.
• The meat can also be processed by using
Smoking: This involves removing the snail from the shell and smoking them on sticks.
Snail powder: Smoke-dry the snail, crash it in mortar, and grind it in a grinding meal. Parcel the powder in convenient containers for the market.
Snail grit: Crash the smoke-dry snail in mortar into grits. Parcel grits in convenient containers for the market.
Freezing: Remove the live snails fresh, separate it from the blue liquid and freeze.
Canning: Remove live snails fresh, separate it from the blue liquid, add vegetable oil, flavourers and can it in the cannery. Label and package for export.
NB: It should be noted the shells from snails can also be processed and used as feed. The shells are fired for a while to make them bristle for grinding.
They can be pounded in mortar to a desired texture or sent to the mill to be ground. The grounded shell can be used as mineral supplement in animal feed, to lime acid soils, and as a base material for white washing walls of houses.
(ii) Feedstuffs for Snail
•Cocoyam, lettuce, cabbage, spinach, fruits and palm fruits.
• Gari with palm oil is known to be a good fattening ration for snails.
• Other root tubers and also cormels of cocoyam
•Supplementary vitamins from sunflower
• Supplementary minerals from licking stones
•Water should also be available always although they can obtain water from other feeds.
(c) Parts of a snail
•Urinary aperture • Foot
•Anus • Maze of fine grooves
• Respiratory aperture •Genital opening
• Shell • Edge of mantle
•Posterior tentacle •Eye