Beijing: In a bid to harness China’s expertise in snail farming techniques, technology transfer, and international market access, Pakistan is poised to develop its snail industry with the aim of penetrating global markets, particularly in Europe and other developed regions. This initiative was highlighted by Jin Jingqi, Vice President of Jiangsu Design Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Special Expert for Rural Revitalization in Jiangsu Province.
China’s snail industry has experienced rapid growth in recent years, driven by the rural revitalization strategy. The Chinese white jade snail, a natural variation of Achatina fulica discovered by Chinese researchers in the 1980s, stands out as a superior snail variety globally, featuring clean white flesh and higher nutritional content.
The versatility of snails has led to multiple uses, including their calcium-rich shells for toothpaste production, delectable and protein-rich snail meat, snail mucus for cosmetics, and snail enzymes with medical value for tissue repair.
Jin Jingqi explained that snail farming can be integrated into ecological farming systems, where snails coexist with existing crops in the field. Snails contribute to organic fertilizer production, promote crop yield, and even consume farm waste as part of their diet. According to Jin’s experience, ecological snail farming can yield an average output of $10,000 per acre per year. Meanwhile, industrial farming, which involves more complex management and larger space for multi-level breeding sheds, can achieve an expected annual output of $500,000 per acre. However, ecologically farmed snails generally exhibit superior quality.
The global demand for snails in 2023 presents a significant gap of around 1 billion tons, with developed countries like Europe, America, Japan, and South Korea being major consumers. These developed nations face challenges in snail production due to higher labor, land, and feed costs. The objective is to establish a comprehensive international snail industry chain that can cater to both domestic and international markets. Pakistan, as a developing country with robust international trade channels and a thriving agricultural sector, has the potential to play a pivotal role in this chain.
During the China-Pakistan Technical Cooperation and Promotion Exchange Conference, Jin Jingqi presented an overview of the global snail industry chain, detailing the progress of China’s snail industry and its international market potential. This presentation piqued the interest of Pakistani government officials and businesses.
Khan Muhammad Wazir, Science Counselor of the Pakistani Embassy in China, expressed confidence in the feasibility of Pak-China cooperation in the snail industry. He affirmed the embassy’s support in facilitating potential partnerships for implementing this project in Pakistan.
To drive Pakistan’s participation in the global snail industry chain, Jin Jingqi stressed the importance of technology transfer, recommending technical personnel training, the establishment of processing assembly lines, and the initiation of pilot projects for industrial snail farming in Pakistan. By seamlessly integrating the snail industry into its existing agricultural landscape, Pakistan can unlock substantial economic value and establish itself as a reliable player in the global snail industry chain.