Cassava Farming Business Plans

How to Start a Snail / Heliciculture Farming Operation?

Snail / Heliciculture farming can be a very lucrative business venture. Most large snails are edible and can be sold at a high price. Because they are considered agricultural pests, organic farm owners want to get rid of them and let you harvest them. There’s also a growing demand for “snail slime” in the cosmetic industry.

Factors to consider when Starting:

Soil requirements – Snails thrive in well – cultivated rich quality soil. Calcium in the soil is also important for the snails’ shell.

Farm System – Protect and contain snails in pens that are either inside a building or greenhouse or with plastic tunnel houses.

Climate Control – The ideal temperature for growing snails is between 16degrees and 24 degrees and they also need humidity, so include sprinklers.

Snail Feeding

Make food and water available in the morning and night every day. Feed your snails with plantain, pumpkin, potato, lettuce, pawpaw, cabbage, cucumber etc. Snails commonly feed on meal leftovers and green leaves without salt. Calcium is also vital for the growth of their shells.

Snail Housing

Snails need comfort to thrive. The size of the snails’ house will determine how comfortable the snails will be. Also, the style and size of the snail house are dependent on the size of your snail farm. Besides nets, people rear snails in boxes made of wood and wire gauge.

Snail Harvesting

Snails take an average of two years to reach full maturity. To know whether or not the snail is mature, inspect the brim of the shell. Snails with a hard and thick shell are mature. Make sure to harvest snails only when they are matured. You can harvest snails with the help of baskets, boxes, bowls, and containers.

Importance of a Snail Farming Business Plan

Putting together a business plan for a snail farming operation can be daunting. This is especially so if you’re creating a business for the first time. To create an effective business plan for your farming operation , you’ll need to assess your current position (if you’re already in business) and define where you want the business to be in the next three to five years. If you need any help with this, contact us now for professional help and assistance by means of email: money@global.co.za or mobile (27)845833143.

How to start Successful Cassava Farming now.

Agricultural Business, Agriculture Business Plans, Building a profitable business, Business Plans, Business Profiles, Cassava Farming, Cassava Farming Business Plans, Farming Business Plans, Farming Plans, Farming Profiles / Hansie Britz

Cassava is grown as a secondary crop in South Africa by farmers and small holders and is utilized for the production of starch (commercial and food grade starch) as well as various other products.

Production Areas

In South Africa the crop is cultivated in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and Northern KZN.It is produced on a large scale in Limpopo, mainly for industrial purposes.

Cultivars

“Bitter” and “Sweet” are the two general types of cassava. The sweet type is more commonly grown because of its greater yields.. The color and texture of the root peel are often the only factors used in separating clones in the market.

Water

The cassava plant produces best when rainfall is fairly abundant, but it can be grown where the annual rainfall is as low as 500mm but well-distributed and where it is as high as 5000mm. The cassava plant can stand prolonged periods of drought in which most other food crops would perish. This makes it valuable in regions where the annual rainfall is low or where seasonal distribution is irregular.

Soil Requirements

Cassava grows best on light, sandy loam’s or on loamy sands which are moist, fertile and deep, but also does well on soils ranging in texture from sands to clay and on soils of relatively low fertility. In practice, it is grown on a wide range of soils, provided the soil texture is friable enough to allow the development of the tubers.

Harvesting

In regions with seasonal rains, cassava can be harvested throughout the year when the tubers reach maturity. Harvesting usually takes place in the dry season, during the dormant period of the plant. In areas where rain prevails all year round, the crop can be harvested throughout the year. Maturity differs from one variety to the next. The tubers can be harvested between 6 months and 3 years after planting, but for food purposes harvesting can take place at almost any age below 12 months. Harvesting may be delayed until market, processing, or other conditions become favorable.

Marketing

Cassava spoils easily and it is costly to transport in its raw form as it consists mainly of water. Therefore, most of the processing takes place on the farm. Processing results in products such as gari (a type of pickled vegetable), lafun (a fibrous powdery form of cassava) and fufu (a thick paste made by boiling) which all have a longer self life than cassava tubers do.. These products are consumed in the household or sold in the local market. They are sold in South Africa or traders in Swaziland and Mozambique.

Cassava has a high content of fermentable substances. This makes it appropriate for the production of alcohol. the fresh tubers contain about 30% starch and 5% sugars, and the dried tubers contain approximately 80% fermentable substances.

TO ENABLE YOU TO START AND RUN A SUCCESSFUL CASSAVA FARMING OPERATION YOU NEED TO START WITH A WELL-STRUCTURED AND BANKABLE FARMING BUSINESS PLAN – CONTACT US NOW FOR PROFESSIONAL HELP AT:

(27) 84 583 3143 or email: money@global.co.za

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