Capacity building for persons with disabilities has a long term benefit especially for the situation PwDs of Liberia who are minimally engaged with economic strengthening support. At the end of eight months, about four (4) National Union PwD members will be trained on snail and grass-cutter farming as a way to build their capacity. They serve as national talent or subject matter experts to build the capacity of the sub-national union members? capacity on this type of alternative farming method/approach. A resource center at the premise of the PwDs headquarters in Todee will erected and stocked with grass-cutters and snails for skills expansion and source of revenue generation for the PwDs. Ten (10) two (males) and eight females (8) breeding grass-cutters will be stocked along with over 1000 snails. Within six months of proper breeding care, the females will produce a minimum of 32 grass-cutters. Over a maturity period of another six months, the grasscutter population will double.
The production period for snails starts between June and October at which time breeders will be introduced. A star-up breeding of 50 snails will yield about 12,000-15,000 eggs. By the end of the maturing period of about one year six months, the PwDs will have about 12,000-13,000 snails ready for the market.
Snail and grasscutter meat form a large part of the Liberian food culture but due to limited supply on the local market, consumers turn to eating bush meat or imported chemical infused meat products.
Snails form part of the local diet and demand is high but the production is reducing due to de-forestation and climate change. The demand for grasscutter has a growing demand for local restaurants and other West Africans nationals. Intensive farming of snails and grasscutters will build the capacity of the PwDs and also help them to make money. Currently, 80% of the snails on local market are been exported from Sierra Leone and Ivory Cost
The overall goal of this project is to build the capacity of PwDs to explore the feasibility of snail and grasscutter. Farming as a model to expand into niche markets for increased profitability. The project total cost being requested is about $20,000 from UNDP while Wede Agriculture Development will contribute $2,000.00 in-kind and the community contributing land with a cost factor of about $1,000.00 USD.