For fruit and veggie growers, it is the stuff of nightmares.

Key points: The fast-breeding world's largest land snail, the giant African snail, is considered one of the world's top invasive species

The fast-breeding world's largest land snail, the giant African snail, is considered one of the world's top invasive species It can reach up to 20 centimetres in length and consume entire plants — posing a threat to native species

It can reach up to 20 centimetres in length and consume entire plants — posing a threat to native species Previous detections of the species in Australia have been eradicated but Ausveg biosecurity officers are warning Australian farmers that it is a threat they need to be aware of

The giant African snail is the world's largest land snail.

It is fast-breeding and can reach up to 20 centimetres in length.

For biosecurity officers in Australia, the threat this snail poses to agriculture is too big to ignore — and at farmer meetings across the nation, Ausveg has been raising awareness of the risk.

Threat to agriculture

The giant African snail is considered one of the world's top invasive species and with its voracious appetite has wreaked havoc on farmers as it has spread across various continents.

"This snail isn't in Australia and we want to keep it that way," Ausveg biosecurity officer, Madeleine Quirk said.

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"For agriculture it's a massive threat, it feeds on a number of plants, more than 500 host plant species, including lettuce, cabbage, citrus, bananas and beans.

"[Depending on the plant] it will eat the stem, leaves, flowers, fruit, or even consume the entire plant."

Giant African snails can reach 20 centimetres in length. ( Supplied: Ausveg )

The snail has been detected in Australia before, but thankfully eradicated before it was able to spread.

In 1977 around 300 snails were found just in time at Gordonvale in Queensland, and there has since been single detections in the Currumbin Valley, Queensland, and at a container yard in Brisbane in 2013.

Ms Quirk said the snail had invaded a number of tropical locations across the globe, including Florida in the United States, and would no doubt thrive in areas of northern Australia.

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Seriously, do not eat them

In some countries people keep the giant snail as a pet and some people even regard them as a food source.

Ms Quirk said people intentionally bringing the snail into Australia for those reasons was one of the biggest threats of an outbreak.

"First of all, it is illegal to bring this snail into Australia," she said.

"It should not be consumed, because it can be detrimental to human health.

"Giant African snails can infect people with bacteria and parasites and they can also transmit disease if handled with bare hands."

She said the snails could also hitch a ride into Australia via imported farm machinery, vehicles, containers or through soil.

Ms Quirk wants farmers and the public to be on the lookout.

"Australian growers should keep an eye out for this pest, because if there's a couple of snails, they can breed into high numbers very quickly, they can rapidly reproduce," she said.

If you see this pest the advice is to contain it where possible and immediately report it by contacting the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline.

