WILD SNAIL HARVESTING AMONG RURAL HOUSEHOLDS IN ENUGU NORTH AGRICULTURAL ZONE OF ENUGU STATE, NIGERIA (pp.44-50)
ABSTRACT
The survey was conducted to assess wild snail harvesting among households in Enugu North Agricultural Zone of Enugu state, Nigeria. Questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of sixty (60) respondents who were selected using simple random sampling technique. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage and mean score. Results indicate that 85.0% of the respondents were females while 15.0% were males, married (67%) with major occupation being petty trading (76.7%), having a mean household size of 8 persons. Tools used in harvesting snails include bucket (36.7%), pan (30.6%), stick (17.0%) and basket (15.7%). Findings show that a greater percentage (55%) of the respondents sold snails to retailers, 35.0% sold directly to consumers while 10% sold to wholesalers. Problems encountered by snail harvesters were lack of facilities and equipment for preserving harvested snails (M= 2.5), unavailability of organized market channels (M= 2.5), attack by predators (M= 2.5), deforestation (M= 2.4), among others. The study recommends the need for adequate provision of improved technologies that will enhance easy harvesting of snails in order to reduce the drudgery faced by the respondents. It also highlights that availability of markets for sale of snails immediately after harvesting remains paramount in order to increase income for economic empowerment.