BEIJING, Nov 3 (INP) : “Leveraging China's expertise in snail farming techniques, technology transfer, and market access, Pakistan can develop the snail industry to tap into the international market, particularly in Europe and other developed regions.” This was stated by Jin Jingqi, Vice President of Jiangsu Design Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Special Expert for Rural Revitalization in Jiangsu Province, according to a report carried by Gwadar Pro on Friday. In recent years, driven by the rural revitalization strategy, China's snail industry has been rapidly growing. Chinese white jade snail, a natural variation of Achatina fulica found by Chinese researchers in the 1980s, is a superior variety compared to other snail species worldwide. It features clean white flesh and higher nutritional content. 

The snails have multiple values, including their shell rich in calcium for toothpaste production, delicious and protein-rich snail meat, snail mucus for cosmetics, and snail enzymes with medical value for tissue repair. “Snail farming can be carried out through ecological farming, where snails coexist with existing crops in the field. Snails can provide organic fertilizer and promote crop yield, while farm waste, including leftover leaves and fruits, can be snail feeds.” Jin Jingqi introduced.  According to his experience, ecological snail farming can increase an average output of USD10,000 per acre per year. 

Another farming form, industrial farming, requires more complicated management and larger space for constructing multi-level breeding sheds, with an expected annual output of USD500,000 per acre. However, ecologically farmed snails generally have better quality." Global demand for snails in 2023 presents a gap of about 1 billion tons, with developed countries such as Europe, America, Japan, and South Korea being major consumers. Those developed countries are limited in snail production due to their higher cost of labor, land and feed. We aim to build a complete international snail industry chain to meet both domestic and international market demands. 

As a developing country with favorable international trade channels and a strong agricultural sector, Pakistan can be a crucial part of the chain." Jin Jingqi said. During the China-Pakistan Technical Cooperation and Promotion Exchange Conference held on Monday, Jin Jingqi delivered a report on the whole international industry chain of the snail industry, introducing the progress of snail industry in China and its potential in the international market, which interested Pakistani government officials and businesses. 

"Pak-China cooperation in  snail industry is very doable. The embassy will also support Jin Jingqi by providing potential partners for undertaking this project in Pakistan," said Khan Muhammad Wazir, Science Counselor of the Pakistani Embassy in China.To drive the China-Pakistan snail industry cooperation and unlock its economic potential, Jin Jingqi emphasizes the importance of technology transfer, recommending technical personnel training, establishment of processing assembly lines and launching pilot projects for industrial snail farming in Pakistan.  By integrating the snail industry into its existing agricultural framework, Pakistan can create substantial economic value and position itself as a reliable player in the global snail industry chain.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China