Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 December 2021
705. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on whether there is potential for his Department to provide educational training or supports to those involved in or seeking to enter heliciculture; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60559/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraHeliciculture, more commonly known as snail farming, is a niche farming concept.
Climatic conditions in Ireland are suitable for year-round snail breeding and Bord Bia conducted research in 2018 which showed the strong export market potential for snails, particularly in Europe. Snails intended for human consumption are defined in EU food regulations as terrestrial gastropods.
Farmers interested in snail farming may wish to refer to the helpful guidance document on snail farming produced by Teagasc which is available on its website. Furthermore, advisory support for those looking to diversify their enterprise is available through the Teagasc ‘Options for Farm Families Programme’ and interested farmers should contact their local Teagasc office, details of which are available on their website. Teagasc recommends that potential snail farmers visit a commercial snail farm and get involved in a course prior to investing any resources.
To register as a snail farmer producing snails for live sale only, or if there is already a herd number for the holding in respect of other farming activities, and the addition of snail farming activities at the holding is required, a completed ER1 application form should be submitted to the Regional Veterinary Office (RVO).
All food intended for human consumption must meet the requirements of EU food law. Snail farmers who intend to process snails for human consumption must in addition to being registered as a snail farmer with their local Department Regional Veterinary Office must also be approved to operate as a food business operator with the Department’s Meat Hygiene Division. Any person producing food is regarded as a ‘Food Business Operator’.
To date there are no Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine approved food business operators processing snails for human consumption in Ireland. Any snail farmer interested in seeking approval to become a food business operator for the processing of snails for human consumption should complete a Notification of Intent application form, which is available on the Department's website at www.gov.ie/en/service/57f86-approval-of-activities-at-meat-processing-businesses/ and submit it to my Department's Meat Hygiene Division in Portlaoise.
The main purpose of food law is to ensure a safe food supply and to protect consumers’ interests in relation to food. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) is responsible for enforcing food law in Ireland, and carries out this enforcement through service contracts with official agencies, including the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
There are currently no schemes under the Rural Development Programme to support snail farming. However, snail farming may benefit from wider supports such as the Enterprise Ireland's Innovation Voucher Scheme for which the Teagasc’ Food Research centres are Knowledge Providers . This scheme awards vouchers of €5,000 to small companies who have a business opportunity or problem. The voucher can be exchanged for advice and expertise. Further details can be found on their website.
For scheme supports under our Rural Development Programme, these generally include eligibility requirements such as being the holder of an active herd number with herdowner status and also having all lands farmed declared in the applicant's name on my Department’s Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS). These requirements are expected to be applied in the next CAP.
If a person farming snails has eligible hectares and a herd number, they can submit an application for the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) which does not differentiate between types of farms.
