ASTANA — Lumacheria Italiana, the world leader in snail production, plans to launch snail farming on an industrial scale in the Zhambyl Region this year, reported the region’s akimat (administration) on Feb. 21.
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According to the foreign company, the Zhambyl Region has favorable natural and climatic conditions, making growing snails in industrial quantities four times cheaper than on the world market.
The project will be implemented in cooperation with the local company Meragro. The Italian company proposes to divide the project into several stages: establishing the cultivation of snails in the region, building an incubator, launching the feed production for them, and building a snail meat processing plant.
At the initial stages, the investment volume will be over 2 million euros (US$2.17 million). The company is ready to train local farmers.
Shell and mucin – the snail’s mucus – are used in cosmetology. Snail meat is a unique delicacy and is in great demand all over the world. The Zhambyl Region will be the first region in Central Asia where snails will be grown on an industrial scale.
