Hershey expands cocoa programme to Nigeria

THE He r shey Lea r n to Grow programme, an initiative started in Ghana by The Hershey Company in 2012, will be expanded to Nigeria through a public and private partnership with IDH (The Sustainable Trade Initiative) and Source Trust. Farmers will be trained on the business and finance side of cocoa production, and this is expected to double productivity and increase farmers’ income by 30%.

Hershey Learn to Grow Nigeria will employ computerised tracking of cocoa through the entire supply chain. This will provide farmers with precise information about the size of their farms, age of cocoa trees and use of fertilizers to increase product ion. The programme places emphasis on improving cocoa communities through water and power provision, malaria prevention and education programs.