How Shen Fuliang transformed the snail industry

Since 1987, Jiaxing's snail industry has developed into a complete industry that includes snail breeding, processing, and training, bringing considerable fortune to local people.

With more than 4,000 mu (267 hectares) of breeding area, the Fuliang snail cooperative, the largest in China, can produce 2,860 tons of snail and two million bags of processed snail food every year. Its annual sales reach 80 million yuan (about $12 million), accounting for over 70 percent of the domestic jade snail consumption market, The Paper reported.

In May 2000, Shen Fuliang, a native of Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, established an online snail store and Fuhua snail breeding base to promote large-scale snail farming. A year later, he received orders from all over the country, Jiaxing Daily reported.

His success inspired others who followed his steps to establish their online stores.

In 2003, Shen founded Jiaxing Qianfu Food Co Ltd for snail processing.

"A snail's shelf-life can be increased from several days to 18 months. The increase extends the sales cycle and reduces shipping costs," Shen added.

When Shen began to supply snails to major Western restaurants, his clients began to require better and more stable quality products.

In 2005, the Zhejiang government enacted jade snail regulations to promote industrial standardization. Shen provided consultation that helped determine the standards.

To help more snail farmers, Qianfu established a snail industry association in 2015 for snail breeding research and training, providing hands-on experience and tackling technical challenges.

Xu Qinsen is one such snail farmer. In 2008, Xu came to Jiaxing with his wife and children to work. They rented a place in Yuxin town. At that time, they hoped to settle down in Jiaxing. However, he soon found that it was challenging to have the life they wanted solely relying on their wages from work.

Seeing that many people in Yuxin were getting rich by breeding snails, he wanted to try it. After consultation, Qianfu told him the company would provide training if he submitted an application and passed the review.

Xu's application was successful, and he became a skilled breeder within a year.

With his hard work, Xu achieved multiple goals, such as buying a car and building breeding ponds. His two sons have grown up, and the whole family has settled in Yuxin. They have realized their initial dreams and built a villa in their hometown.

Xu estimated that the growth cycle of snails is four to five months, and they can be crossbred three times a year. The current market price is 20 yuan per kilogram. Qianfu purchases 15,000 kilograms annually from Xu, providing him and his family an income of 250,000 yuan.