The Hershey Company, the US-based chocolate manufacturer, has announced an innovative program to use GPS mapping to help farmers determine precise measurements of farm acreage in Ghana.
The GPS mapping is intended to help farmers better plan and manage their cocoa farms, increasing yields and farmer incomes.
This programme is a part of Hershey Learn to Grow initiative, which was announced on 30 January as part of Hershey's $10m commitment in West Africa during the next five years to accelerate the company's cocoa programs in the region.
The GPS mapping will help Ghanian cocoa farmers to determine the precise size of their farms using GPS technology and a process of mapping and data collection called GeoT.
It will help in understanding the actual size of their farms, which makes it easier for farmers to make the best use of the latest practices in planting, pruning and fertilizer techniques for maximum yield and sustainability.
The innovative GeoT GPS process will is expected to 1,000 participating farmers accurately size their cocoa farms.
