Artificial intelligence and sensors for breeding snails

Snail consumption has changed. Previously, snails were enjoyed only after they were collected. But the increase in their consumption and, above all, the prohibition of collecting and harming wild animals, among other guidelines of Law 42/2007, on Natural Heritage and Biodiversity, has led to a proliferation of snail farms. In other words, heliciculture .

A sector of activity, conceived as such, somewhat recent but which already has more than 100 snail farms in Spain. Its consumption is estimated at around 16 million kilos per year in the country, taking into account an average of 400 grams per person per year, although wild origin continues to predominate. Currently, farmed snails represent around 3% of the total marketed , according to the latest data from the Ministry of Agriculture.

Snail farms, like the rest of the agricultural and livestock sector, are also addressing their digital transformation. But unlike other farms, in heliciculture there is much to do because, until now, all processes have been carried out manually and on an Excel-type spreadsheet.

The sector has taken steps to implement digitalisation by developing technological solutions that meet the specific conditions and address the particularities of this production. And, in this line, the application promoted within the Helixcontrol project by the National Association for Breeding and Fattening of Snails (ANCEC) , with support from the Ministry of Agriculture, within the strategic framework of the CAP-Feader, is part of this.

This pioneering tool, the first for heliciculture on the market , allows "optimizing time and efficiency by digitalizing the farmer's daily work," says Santiago Ponce, CEO of Agencia Digital SP, in charge of technical development, to elEconomista

This technological solution also allows farmers to have information and data to make predictions , as well as to delve into the safety of farms and products by being able to monitor and follow up on and control the samples that are sent to the laboratory of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Autonomous University of Barcelona. The history of all samples and results is available in this tool, which even reminds farmers that they have to send the samples with a system of three notifications: one day before sending, the same day and the next day.

The app, valid for both maternity farms and fattening and breeding farms, is also connected to the laboratory , avoiding the loss of samples sent from the farm. In this way, there is a gain in health control and monitoring by being able to check the sending of that sample, its reception and the result of the analysis. All of this within this technological solution.

The application -available in mobile and web app versions- requires a system that is easy to install on the farm. All that is needed is a weather station and sensors to be distributed at certain points to monitor the entire ecosystem of the heliciculture farm, such as temperature and humidity. In addition, the data extracted is used for decision-making. For example, with its analysis, the farmer can see if he needs to irrigate based on data such as the humidity of the ecosystem, among others. The app also uses artificial intelligence for the predictive part, which is planned to continue to develop.

All of this is done in a simple way for the farmer who has to use the solution from his mobile device or computer and only needs an Internet connection. "The entire process is simplified, both internally and externally," adds Ponce. In fact, the farmer receives on his terminal all the data collected by the weather station, which is directly connected to the application.

Once the tool has been designed, ANCEC will now make it available to farmers on their farms. In addition, progress will continue to be made to respond to more needs of the sector with the incorporation of more functions such as real-time alert systems and advanced decision-making for the farm in order to even be able to know the kilos of snails that are going to be exported or the liters of water that are consumed.

"As more data is collected, more information will be available" to optimize snail farming and gain in efficiency and reduce the costs of this product, which is priced at 5.75 euros per kilo in week nine of 2025, according to the latest data from Llotja de Bellpuig. Work will even be done to make it possible to predict health problems in the facility itself.

At the moment, the functions are focused on controlling expenses, consumption and health alert conditions via the university's analysis laboratory . In the future, "we want it to irrigate when it should so that the farmer gains efficiency," adds the CEO of Agencia Digital SP, based in Zaragoza, which has included Rubén and Andy in its development team.

And, although the tool is in beta phase, tests carried out on snail farms have yielded good results. This is demonstrated by the trials carried out at Helix Donaire, Caragols Moli de Vent, Granja Fonfría, Mas Treubanya, Cargols de cal jep and Caracoles de Aliste.