Ephraim Okeyo is the founder of Kono Farm Enterprise, specializing in snail farming.
Although heliculture is still extrinsic within the Kenyan culture, he is earning a living from selling his produce top restaurants locally.
Okeyo launched his enterprise in 2020 and he has since seen it grow to one of the most sought after agribusiness in Kenya.
Here is his story as told by WoK.
Okeyo got an interest in snail farming when he visited a snail farm in Nairobi, and wanted to pursue it commercially too.
After the tour, he went on to read and research more about heliculture, and finally sought out formal training before getting into the business.
When all was done, Okeyo set up Kono Farm Enterprise which began operations in January 2021.
In an interview, he shared that he practices snail farming as a full-time job, adding that it has proved to be financially sustainable.
“Currently 20% of Kenyans are facing malnutrition and lack of protein is the major cause of that. We saw this as an alternative source of protein that we can introduce,” he said.
Okeyo noted that during his training, he noticed that snail farmers were unable to meet the market demand, and as his farm expanded he started seeing an upsurge in profits.
Kono Farm Enterprise is also into value addition, as they produce beauty products including body and face creams, lotions and beauty soaps.
Most of the products are made using avocado oil, castor oil and snail slime which has anti-ageing properties that moisturizes and repairs the skin.
While the beauty soap goes for Ksh 800 per piece, 100g, 250g and 350g goes for Ksh 300, Ksh 650 and Ksh 800 respectively.
Okeyo sells snails to high-end restaurants in parts of Nairobi including Westland and Upper Hill as well as to expatriates from West Africa and Asia.
He sells live snails for Ksh 2,500 per kg, Ksh 3,000 per kg for snail meat and Ksh 1,300 for a litre of snail slime.
While it takes 6 to 7 months for snails to reach harvesting, Okeyo explained that it is possible to harvest the snails earlier provided the snails weigh at least 140g each at harvest.
“The demand is there and even currently we aren’t meeting the demand. That’s why you are encouraging other people to venture into such kind of practice,” he said.
Okeyo feeds his snails with sukumawiki, cabbages, lettuces, potatoes and fruits provided they are not acidic like lemons and oranges.
He advised the youth to consider getting into snail farming as it requires minimal effort and space compared to other types of farming.
Demand for snails as a delicacy is growing in Kenya, following the growth in the number of immigrants.
Snail rearing is becoming a big business with the country’s humid climatic condition providing a conducive environment for the slugs to thrive.
According to a recent report from the United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Kenya has been named among the countries with the largest number of immigrants, where the influx of West Africans and Asian nationals has led to the rise in snail delicacy demand.
