You have no items in your shopping cart.
ABSTRACT
The study of assessment of utilization of African Giant land Snails (Archachatina marginata) was carried out in three local government areas of Benin Metropolis, Edo State, Nigeria. Sixty (60) copies of questionnaires were administered to the respondents in each of the local government area. The local government areas were Oredo local government area, Egor local government area and Ikpoba Okha local government area. The respondents in each of the local government area were randomly selected and a total of one hundred and eighty (180) copies of questionnaires were administered during the study. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics of frequency and percentages and presented as tables. The results revealed that 93.89% of the respondents utilize snails while 9.91% do not utilize snails. The majority of the respondents (65.85%) utilize snails for consumption while the least (1.95%) utilize them for ornament. The majority of the respondents (37.22%) store their snails in baskets while the least (11.11%) store snails in concrete pen. A high proportion of the respondents (76.47%) preserve their snails by storing them alive while the least (4.71%) preserve the snails by freezing them. Frying had the highest value of 53.41% of processing snail meat, smoking 25.57%, oven drying 14.77% while boiling had the least value of 6.25%. The results also revealed that the Prices of Snails as reported by the majority of the respondents (41.67%) is very high, 32.22% high, 23.33% moderate while the least (2.78%) said it is low. Majority of the respondents (46.67%) get snails from the market while the least (6.15%) get from their snail farms. Majority of the respondents (61.11%) are aware of snail farming while the least (10.56%) are not aware. A high proportion of the respondents (87.78%) do not have a snail farm while 12.22% have a snail farm. It was recommended that the government and other relevant stakeholders should organize educational programs aimed at raising awareness on the numerous benefits of snail utilization and to practice snail farming.
