Snail prices to increase amid poor harvest

7 July 2008

PARIS – Gourmets will have to dig deeper into their pockets if they want to be served snails after an insufficient 2008 harvest, the French canning and preservation industry federation said Friday.

The main reason for the drop is a shortfall from countries in central and southeastern Europe where collecting snails is less and less popular as those countries’ economies develop rapidly, a FIAC statement said.

In a bid to motivate potential gatherers in countries which have recently joined the European Union, prices paid for live snails have gone up sharply.

But the industry also faces higher energy, packaging and transport costs and rising salaries.

"All these factors lead to higher resale prices," the federation said.

In 2007, France processed about 14,300 tonnes of gastropods (which also includes slugs, whelks and their like), of which 99 percent came from central and eastern Europe.

[AFP / Expatica]