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Mr. Thomas Amo Amankwaa, a renowned cocoa farmer in Berekum has made a passionate appeal to government to reintroduce the supply of Lithovit liquid fertilizer to farmers.
According to him, the years that lithovit was supplied to farmers by CHED of COCOBOD, they recorded bumper harvest.
In his case, for instance, his production jumped from 1,600kg of cocoa beans to 4,600kg when he applied Lithovit liquid fertilizer during the 2015/2016 cocoa season.
Mr. Amo Amankwaa has been testifying in the trial of former COCOBOD Chief Executive Dr Stephen Opuni and businessman Seidu Agongo who have been accused of, among others, causing financial loss to the state. It is the case of prosecution that Lithovit liquid fertilizer purchased under the tenure of Dr. Opuni was a waste of resources, because the state did not get value for money.
The state called seven witnesses but none was a farmer to testify to the efficacy or otherwise of Lithovit when it was applied on his or her farm.
Dr. Opuni in his defence has called three witnesses so far with two being cocoa farmers.
Mr. Amo Amankwaa, who is the third defence witness has four different cocoa farms: Two of the farms are located at Subronou in the Ahafo region: one at Biadian covering an area of 13.6 acres; there is another one at Yaakrom in the Dormaa West District and covers an area of 21 acres.
The witness is the second cocoa farmer to have so far testified in the over four-year trial, and have all testified in favour of the accused persons. Whilst the first described Lithovit as a “messiah”, Mr. Amankwaa calls it a “great saviour”.
Being cross-examined by lawyer Nutifafa Nutsukpui, who is holding brief for Benson Nutsukpui, on Thursday, May 26 at the High Court in Accra, the witness asserted that based on personal experience, the efficacy of the Lithovit liquid fertilizer was way above other fertilizers he and his colleague farmers applied on their cocoa farms.
He recounted the frustrations of cocoa farmers when government stopped supplying them Lithovit, and appealed for it to be brought back.
“My lord, we went to CHED office to demonstrate for the litovit fertiliser to be brought back because it helped us.The COCOBOD officials told me that this will not have any effect and that if we want we can go to radio stations, and so I went to Akonoba FM in Sunyani, Chris Fm in Berekum, Ahenfo fm in Berekum and Shalom FM in Berekum to appeal to the government to bring back Lithovit fertiliser because it helps give us good yield in our cocoa farms.
“My lord, I am here not because of anything but to plead with the government to bring back Lithovit fertiliser because it really helped us.”
Mr. Amankwaa has since tendered in evidence his passbook which contains details of all products received and the quality of cocoa produced by him as well as other information from Licenced Buying Companies.
The former COCOBOD Chief Executive, Dr. Stephen Opuni and businessman Seidu Agongo as well as Agricult Ghana Limited, are facing over 25 charges, including defrauding by false pretences, willfully causing financial loss to the state, corruption by public officers and contravention of the Public Procurement Act.
Sitting continues on Monday, May 30, 2022.
