Nigeria’s scorpion farms – level 3
24-03-2025 07:00
In Nigeria, scorpion venom farming is emerging as a lucrative business, with farms aiming to sell venom to the global market.
Muhammad Usman manages a farm in Lagos with over 10,000 scorpions, carefully extracting venom twice a month. Scorpion venom is highly valuable due to its use in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and cosmetics. According to a scientist at Texas Tech University, a gallon of venom is worth around 10 million dollars, but collecting even two milliliters is challenging, requiring thousands of scorpions.
The venom’s high value comes from its composition of proteins, enzymes, and pharmaceutical compounds. However, experts warn that advancements in synthetic production could reduce demand for natural venom, leading to lower prices. Despite this, Usman and his farm continue extracting and storing venom, hoping to profit before synthetic alternatives dominate the market.
Difficult words: lucrative (profitable), pharmaceutical (related to medicine), synthetic (made by humans, not natural).
You can watch the video news lower on this page.
How do the properties and extraction challenges of scorpion venom contribute to its high market value, and what potential developments might affect its demand in the future?
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