Snail culture could be a major source of income for the tribal community people of the country as snails are one of their most common and most favourable food items, the speaker said Tuesday.
They also said that the highly productive Mollusca species are not only very helpful for one’s health but are especially beneficial for vision and can also be used for making feed concentrate for cattle and fish.
There are four species of snails in Bangladesh of which Pond Snail (Viviparus bengalensis) is the best of the snail family, speakers said.
Pond snails reproduce within a very short duration and its culture does not require any substitute feed as this species frequently feeds on waste products available in the pond; speakers at a day-long training programme at the Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) campus said.
In collaboration with the Krishi Gobeshona Foundation (KGF) and Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC), Department of Aquaculture and a non-government organization, Best Institute for Saving Helpless and Landless organized the programme titled ‘Refresher Training and On-station Research Activities Visit for Tribal Fish Farmers’ at the gallery of Fisheries Faculty of the university.
Snail is rich in protein and other important nutrients that increases body’s immune system, Prof Dr Mohammad Mahfujul Haque of Aquaculture department of BAU said.
He also said one could easily cultivate this highly nutritious snail in their pond along with fish with zero investment and can earn a lot as it has high demand among the indigenous people.
Dean of Fisheries Faculty Prof Dr Monoronjon Das was the chief guest while head of Aquaculture department Prof Dr Ruhul Anin chaired the programme. Indigenous people eat snails on a regular basis but they are still unaware about the commercial cultivation of the species, Executive Director of Best Institute for Saving Helpless and Landless Indrajit Dhar said.
If those people received proper training, they could be able to produce their popular food item very easily, he expressed his hope.
Some 45 Garo males and females from Nalitabari upazila of Sherpur district took part in the programme.
