Post by Ismail AbdulAzeez on Dec 21, 2011 8:18:32 GMT 1
Reuters – Breeding African cane rats or ‘grass cutters’ as they are fondly known in Nigeria could be new money spinner for entrepreneurial types as demand for its meat as a delicacy overtakes supply.
The name ‘grass cutter’ derives from the noise the rodent makes when eating. They can be found in many forests of Africa.
The rat’s meat is said to resemble suckling pig when cooked and is more expensive than an ordinary kilogram of chicken, beef, or pork with a fully grown grass cutter fetching as much 50 US dollars a piece.
Breeders like Ismail Azeez in Ogun state bordering Lagos state have sized the opportunity and are farming the rats for sale to restaurants and markets, especially during the festive season.
He said his farm was already producing over 1000 grass cutters per month.
Unlike other types of breeding that requires large start up costs, rat farming he says, anyone can do.
“Most of the materials that you need for them are local items, you get your grass freely. It is the kind of thing that can also be incorporated to crop farming so the things you get from your farm like your maize, your cassava can be used in feeding the grass cutters,” he said.
Azeez also breeds snails on his farm to supplement his grass cutter business.
Snails are also delicacy in most West African countries and their scarcity has seen prices more than double over the past few months.
With help from the bank, Azeez hopes to expand the business even further.
“We are still doing very well but we can still do better than this…if there is a kind of grant or soft loan with very low interest from government, it would have made a serious change,” he said.
In Nigeria’s commercial capital of Lagos, snail and rat meat can be bought from specific traders stationed on stalls inside the regular market.
Olofe Majek, a dedicated snail customer says a good meal is not complete without them.
“For one snail will give you iron in the body and snail does not have cholesterol and snail works for us, if someone has hypertension and they eat snail, you will feel better,” she said.
And for those who would like to avoid dealing with the hairy creatures and slimy snails directly, there are plenty of restaurants in the city that serve the delicacies up straight to a plate.
Some even say the grass cutter could become the African equivalent of the South America’s guinea pig, and is already helping reduce the continent’s chronic protein deficiency.
Video:
Source: www.thewestafricanpilot.com/2011/12/19/breeding-snails-and-cane-rats-new-booming-business-in-nigeria/
Learn more about grasscutter farming in Nigeria @ THE THY SNAIL & GRASSCUTTER FARM grasscutterfarming.tripod.com
The name ‘grass cutter’ derives from the noise the rodent makes when eating. They can be found in many forests of Africa.
The rat’s meat is said to resemble suckling pig when cooked and is more expensive than an ordinary kilogram of chicken, beef, or pork with a fully grown grass cutter fetching as much 50 US dollars a piece.
Breeders like Ismail Azeez in Ogun state bordering Lagos state have sized the opportunity and are farming the rats for sale to restaurants and markets, especially during the festive season.
He said his farm was already producing over 1000 grass cutters per month.
Unlike other types of breeding that requires large start up costs, rat farming he says, anyone can do.
“Most of the materials that you need for them are local items, you get your grass freely. It is the kind of thing that can also be incorporated to crop farming so the things you get from your farm like your maize, your cassava can be used in feeding the grass cutters,” he said.
Azeez also breeds snails on his farm to supplement his grass cutter business.
Snails are also delicacy in most West African countries and their scarcity has seen prices more than double over the past few months.
With help from the bank, Azeez hopes to expand the business even further.
“We are still doing very well but we can still do better than this…if there is a kind of grant or soft loan with very low interest from government, it would have made a serious change,” he said.
In Nigeria’s commercial capital of Lagos, snail and rat meat can be bought from specific traders stationed on stalls inside the regular market.
Olofe Majek, a dedicated snail customer says a good meal is not complete without them.
“For one snail will give you iron in the body and snail does not have cholesterol and snail works for us, if someone has hypertension and they eat snail, you will feel better,” she said.
And for those who would like to avoid dealing with the hairy creatures and slimy snails directly, there are plenty of restaurants in the city that serve the delicacies up straight to a plate.
Some even say the grass cutter could become the African equivalent of the South America’s guinea pig, and is already helping reduce the continent’s chronic protein deficiency.
Video:
Source: www.thewestafricanpilot.com/2011/12/19/breeding-snails-and-cane-rats-new-booming-business-in-nigeria/
Learn more about grasscutter farming in Nigeria @ THE THY SNAIL & GRASSCUTTER FARM grasscutterfarming.tripod.com
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