Harvest Money Expo: Snails are more than a slimy delicacy

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The Harvest Money Expo is a Vision Group venture that has proudly made its mark on the Ugandan calendar as a ‘must-attend’ for the last 10 years.

In keeping with this year’s expo theme, Farming as a Business, the sponsors and exhibitors at the expo prepared and fed visitors with information on best farming practices, as well as networking or partnerships.

To pull off this three-day expo, Vision Group teamed up with the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands, ENGSOL, Tunga Nutrition, aBi, Pearl Bank, and Uganda Development Corporation. Other sponsors are Heifer International, Roke Telecom, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries and Uganda Revenue Authority.

Every exhibitor had a show-stopper appeal because they displayed the best of their work. At the Bombo Army Secondary School, for example, students were glad to shock visitors at their stall with their snail snacks and snails in a box.

Alex Sentongo in S.4 explained the wonders of snail rearing, saying they are beneficial and tasty. “Schools buy snails from us,” said Sentongo.

He also said they use snails’ shells to feed poultry, by crushing them and mixing the powder in the poultry feed. Sentongo said snail also make a tasty bite when prepared well.

Cooking snail

Taking us through snail preparation, Sentongo said the following: “We wash the shell and snail, and then we bore a hole at the back of the shell. Thereafter, we add some salt to help excrete slime. We then remove the snail from the shell and wash it with hot water. We put it in a bucket of lemon juice (citric juice), which helps remove any slime that had remained. The snails are then boiled for 15 minutes and the water is poured after. Frying follows, like you would beef or liver.”

Snail products

Sentongo said they collect the slime to make skincare products. They also make soap from slime.