- Title: Nigerian farm milks scorpions for venom, eyes lucrative global market
- Date: 19th March 2025
- Summary: LUBBOCK, TEXAS, UNITED STATES (MARCH 5, 2025) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) SCIENTIST/RESEARCHER, TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY, HAMMED FALEKE, SAYING: "One gallon which is equivalent to around 3.4 litres is about ten million US dollars, that tells us how lucrative the scorpion venom market is. However, to get even 2 mils is a challenge, you know, you probably have to milk about
- Embargoed:
- Keywords: antibiotics cancer cosmetics farming nanotechnology nigeria research science scorpion venom
- Location: LAGOS, NIGERIA / LUBBOCK, TEXAS, UNITED STATES
- City: LAGOS, NIGERIA / LUBBOCK, TEXAS, UNITED STATES
- Country: Nigeria
- Topics: Africa,Science
- Reuters ID: LVA002424025022025RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:In a farm in Lagos, Nigeria, over 10,000 scorpions are being milked for their venom, with hopes of profiting from sales in the global market.
Driven by the promise of big money, these farmers are turning a once-feared creature into a business venture, milking venoms from species in high demand.
The venom is used by the pharmaceutical, biotech and cosmetics industries in producing medicines and beauty products.
"We've made our research to the extent of being able to extract," said Prince Monsuru Adekunle Agbabiaka, the farm owner. "To extract only is not easy. We've met some people online, different countries, some people have these scorpions they cannot extract."
Twice a month, farm manager Mohammed Usman carefully extracts venom from the scorpions, sourced locally and comprising mainly of two species - the deathstalker and the emperor.
"After the extraction, we will feed them, we will nurse them, prepare them ahead of next extraction," Usman explained.
Despite prospect of high returns, Usman said the business comes with lots of challenges and is capital intensive.
The venom is stored in a refrigerator, ready for the global market, where it fetches a high price.
"One gallon which is equivalent to around 3.4 litres is about ten million US dollars," said Hammed Faleke, a scientist and doctoral researcher in nanotechnology at Texas Tech University. "However, to get even 2 mils is a challenge. You probably have to milk about thousands of scorpions to have something tangible to sell."
Faleke told Reuters that the venom's high value comes from its complex composition of proteins, enzymes, peptides, inorganic and pharmaceutical compounds used in different therapeutic applications.
However, with the advent of AI and nanotechnology, Faleke warned that the profitability of scorpion farming could change with time.
"If in the nearest future we can have a good number of databases that we can now synthesise some of these pure compounds, these active ingredients from venom in the lab, it's going to reduce the demand from the natural farmers, and as a result, once the demand is being reduced, prices will also go down," he said.
For now, Usman's farm which started over a year ago is yet to generate up to a gallon of venom.
He said they will continue their routine, milking scorpions and storing the venom, and patiently waiting until they milk enough to make a sale in the global market.
(Production: Vining Ogu, Angela Ukomadu, Abraham Achirga, Seun Sanni) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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