In 2007, after completing military service, Luong Giang Chau, 37, from Dien Ngoc Ward, DienBan Town in Quang Nam returned home and tried various jobs, but none provided stable income.

In 2015, noticing the rising demand for clean food, Chau decided to start a business, and with VND300 million in savings, he converted 6,000 sqm of family land to farm black snails.

However, due to inexperience, his first batch of snails nearly all died, and the next two were not better. 

“But I told myself that giving up without understanding snails was just like denying my own opportunity. At least, I needed to know how they live and what they eat before deciding to continue or stop," Chau said.

He started over with a serious learning mindset, diligently studying materials, visiting successful snail farms, and learning water treatment, disease control, and pond environment improvement.

In 2019, Chau leased one more hectare of wasteland, previously overgrown with weeds, and transformed it into natural snail ponds. He said that black snail farming requires low investment but yields high profits since their feed is diverse, cheap, and naturally abundant.

Notably, black snails are "super-breeders," so after the initial seed investment, farmers can produce their own stock for subsequent cycles, significantly cutting reinvestment costs and boosting long-term profits.

"This rural delicacy breeds all year-round, with each mother snail laying 50–150 eggs per clutch. Egg prices range from VND700,000 to over VND1 million per kilogram,” he said.

Currently, Chau supplies 40,000–50,000 snail breeders monthly, priced at VND3–3.5 million per 10,000. Commercial snails are harvested daily, yielding 40–50 kg at VND80,000–100,000/kg. 

He also sells snail eggs and experiments with processed products such as snail patties and stuffed snails. After deducting expenses, the farm generates a profit of VND20-25 million per month (VND240-300 million per year).

Chau’s farm employs five regular workers, earning VND7 million/month on average, and seven seasonal workers, mostly women, processing snails for about VND4 million/month.

Chau plans to rent 3 hectares of land in Dien Ngoc to scale up the farming. The plan includes integrating the farming of fish and growing of lotus, to become an agricultural tourism experience area. Visitors can explore, learn about the clean snail farming process, catch snails themselves, and enjoy local specialty dishes on-site.

"The agricultural model must be combined with experiential activities to have long-term value. I want my snail farm to become a destination for students and tourists, a place where everyone can learn about and appreciate farming," Chau said.

Ha Nam