Farmers Grow Snails from White Caviar in Prykarpattia

In Prykarpattia, in the village of Monastyrchany, young farmers Roman and Mariana Khimchak grow snails from white caviar.

“Agro-Center” tells more about it.

Commentary: “One needs 4 hectares of the field to grow 1 ton of snails. The hardest thing is to sell the product. In Europe, a farmer can get 7-8 euros per kilogram of snails. In Ukraine, restaurants buy shellfish in small amounts for 200-300 UAH per kilogram. The most expensive snail product is caviar. In Europe, it costs 300 euros per kilogram. It is very popular in France, Japan, and the US. One snail can produce only 100 eggs which is 4 grams of caviar,” said the farmer Roman.

Details: A couple breeds a Mediterranean snail species called Aspersa Muller. Roman and Mariana both received proper training in Poland and Lithuania as such training programs are too expensive in Ukraine.

Snails hibernate in autumn and winter. During this period, the framers place them in a refrigerator. In March, snails are transferred to a reproduction shop, where perfect conditions are created: 85-percent humidity, silence, and boxes with a special soil mix. Every morning, the hosts water the snails to wake them up.

It should be noted that a ton of snails needs a ton of high-quality fodder. Roman and Mariana harvest the caviar in August-September. Sometimes the owners hire help. They collect the eggs carefully with a spoon.

Source: LandLord