HENRY AKPOR is the CEO and Founder of Arapel Farms. A Reseaerch Based Food and Agricultural farm sitting at the top of the HELICULTURE NICHE. Producing and Breeding Snails for other snail farmers, grow out and for food consumption. Henry is passionate about Food security and Livelihood for all Africa.

Interview Session

What inspired you to start your agricultural business, and what problem are you trying to solve?

Unemployment and decided it has to be an agricultural business so I can contribute my quarter to food security and end hunger.

The major goal of my business is to solve the problem of high prices associated to snails during the dry season making it difficult for average and low household earners to afford snails.
We are working tirelessly to invent and sustain techniques that enables farmers grow snails all round the year to increase availability and affordability.

What products or services do you offer, and who is your target market and how have you been able to reach them?

Our farm specialise in the breeding of Giant African Land Snails, intensive training/Coaching program for intending snail farms and the sales of snail slime, snail Feed, Calcium supplements and pet snails.

Our target market are Hotels, Restaurants and international snail vendors who ship snails to other parts of the world. The pet and slime market are also very lucrative in snail farming.

The major means of marketing and reaching out to our target market is vai social media especially Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Can you describe your product process? What is unique about it and how do you ensure sustainability in the business?

It Takes about 18 months to grow snails from hatchlings to Table sizes with a combination of great management skills and good feeding. We have to construct housing for the snails, get breeding stocks for already established farm, manage and feed them to reproduce and then grow their offspring to table sizes.

The unique thing about snail farming is that you only get to buy foundation stock once because their offspring begins to reproduce and those continues every breeding season.

Can you describe your sourcing process for raw materials, such as the cassava? Do you have preferred suppliers or partnerships that ensure consistency and quality in your inputs?

The only raw materials you need after stocking are materials for producing formulated feed. What we do is that we partnered with an animal nutritionist to produce high quality feed for our snails.

How do you engage with your local community, and what role do you see your business playing in the regional food system?

Even as growing a business we partner with other agricultural enthusiasts in the local community to organise programmes where we speak to young people about their roles in agriculture and offer some training support to interested individuals.

How do you incorporate technology and innovation into your agribusiness?

No business can thrive in the 21st century without tech and innovation. We have been able to include technology to solve one of the biggest challenge of our business, which is the long duration it takes to grow snails.

We have currently invented a New Model called the HENRY SNAIL MODEL with the help of technology to cut off almost 6 months from the usual 18months it takes to grow snails.

With this model, we can now get table size snails in 10 to 12 months, without technology, that would have been impossible.

What are some of the biggest challenges you face in the agricultural industry, and how do you overcome them?

Lack of government support Agricultural logistics. Lack of basic amenities like electricity and good roads

The government has to invest heavily on agricultural inputs sustainable also help to subsidize some of these inputs to farmers.

Agricultural logistics companies needs to be established and funded to ease the movement of agricultural commodities while retaining quality and maintaining hygiene standards.

What role do you see your business playing in addressing global issues ?(ie climate change, food security, sustainability etc.)

We are certain that when snails become really affordable and available for all social status, we have been able to play our part in curbing protein deficiency and malnutrition which will improve food security and sustainability.

We also play our part in curbing climate change by recycling the waste product from our snails after processing. The Snail shells are processed back to calcium supplement which is a vital nutrient needed by snails for shell formation.

Can you share any success stories or notable achievements in your business?

My biggest achievement yet is the invention of the HENRY SNAIL MODEL. That was a game challenger and turning point for my business.

Are there any new projects or initiatives on the horizon for your business that you’re excited about?

Off course, currently working on moving to an acre space where we can achieve the dream of harvesting 1 million snails annually.

Do you collaborate or partner with other farmers, businesses, suppliers, or organisations?

Sure, you can not run a successful agribusiness without the collaboration of other farmers and business.

What advice would you give to someone looking to start their own agricultural business?

Be consistent and ready to bring innovation and technology into your agricultural business. Agriculture is no longer in the brick and mortal age.