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6 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 1 JUNE 2022 NEWS NEWS First snail farm seeks green light for caviar production JAMES DEBONO PLANS have been submitted for the development of an under- ground snail farm that will also be the first of its kind to produce snail caviar, also known as es- cargot pearls, a luxury gourmet which is increasingly finding a place on the menus of expensive restaurants. The farm aims to cater for the high-end local market as well as potential target markets in Eu- rope where currently demand outstrips supply by an estimated 60,000 to 80,000 tonnes. Snail eggs, characterised by their circular shape and pearly colour, are also known as "Pearls of Aphrodite" for their supposed aphrodisiac properties and are al- ready considered a delicacy in the ancient world. Demand for this delicacy is growing as high-end European hotels and restaurants are intro- ducing snail caviar in their men- us. Its earthy and woody flavour is reminiscent of mushroom and asparagus and is increasingly be- ing sold to both restaurants and private consumers as a fancy par- ty hors d'oeuvre. Snail caviar is most popular in France and Italy but demand is also growing in Switzerland, Du- bai and Russia. At an estimated price of €80 per 50 grams of cav- iar, collecting and storing snail eggs offers higher profit margins for farmers already producing edible snails. While still a niche product for the high-end market, interest in snail caviar is growing proportionally to the increased demand for snails especially in countries like Italy where snail consumption has increased by 325% in past twenty years. But it also offers a number of advantages for Maltese farmers. This is because snail farming takes up smaller amounts of land compared to livestock farms while start up costs are relatively low.It also offers farmers an op- portunity to diversify and to sell directly to consumers who are willing to pay. Project to be located under- ground Jason Muscat, an MCAST lec- turer in product design and a reg- istered farmer who also owns the land in question, is proposing the project. The project, which also prom- ises educational school visits and work placements for stu- dents, has been endorsed by Mal- colm Borg – Deputy Director of MCAST's Institute of Applied Sciences – who described the initiative as "commendable and innovative." The project is being proposed on an abandoned filed behind the sizeable Sherries garden centre. The site neighbours a large villa and fronts a set of greenhouses and a winery. The building will have a built footprint of 97sqm, 60sqm of which consisting a green roof used for arable farming above the underground snail cham- bers. A decision was also taken to eliminate solar panels originally proposed on the building's roof, since this space is now occupied with planters for produce. "We felt it counterproductive to take up an area in the arable field for placement of panels here." "A first of its kind in Malta, the project presents itself as a means of diversification amidst the is-