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A District Cocoa Officer of the Cocoa Health and Extension Division (CHED) of COCOBOD, Mr. Samuel Tsatsu Adigler has confirmed the efficacy of Lithovit liquid fertilizer, justifying why cocoa farmers craved for the product.
He also told the High Court in Accra on Monday that cocoa farmers he and other management members of COCOBOD interacted with heaped praises on Lithovit liquid fertilizer for its effectiveness.
Mr. Adigler was testifying in the ongoing trial of former Chief Executive of COCOBOD, Dr. Stephen Opuni, who is standing trial along with businessman Seidu Agongo, in the GHS271-million financial loss case in connection with the procurement of the fertiliser from Agricult, Mr Agongo’s company by the state-owned cocoa company between 2014 and 2016.
Two cocoa farmers have already testified in court about how effective the product was as they recounted the bumper harvest they recorded after applying lithovit on their farms. Whilst one saw the product as a “messiah”, the other described it as a “saviour”.
The former District Cocoa Officer of CHED whose duty post was at Assin Fosu who was subpoenaed as a defence witness in his evidence in chief, led by counsel for Dr. Opuni, Samuel Codjoe justified why the product was farmers’ favourite.
Lawyer Codjoe asked the witness to tell the court his observations with respect to lithovit liquid fertiliser on farms.
Mr. Adigler told the court, “My Lord, I had the chance to visit some of the farms sprayed with Lithovit and in honest, almost all the cocoa farms had flashy leaves, produced a lot of flowers, cherelles and pods and the beneficiary farmers all were praising the lithovit for efficient results.
“And before I left Assin Fosu, our management team [from CHED Head Office in Accra] came around April in 2015 for farm visits and the results we saw were all worthy of praise.”
Asked about what the management team from Accra observed when they visited some farms in Assin Fosu which were sprayed with lithovit, the witness stressed, “my Lord as I said earlier, the leaves were flashy, some started producing cherelles and the general outlook of the farms were bright, especially, younger ones from four to 16 years.”
Mr. Adigler noted that the farmers were able to tell the effectiveness of lithovit liquid fertiliser, “because, according to the farmers, that had not been the first fertiliser they applied on the farm, therefore, any change on the ground is as a result of the application of the Lithovit fertiliser”.
According to the witness, the findings of the field visits are compiled into a performance report. The former Board Chairman of COCOBOD, Ambassador Daniel Ohene Agyekum made reference to such reports that confirm the efficacy of lithovit fertiliser when he was cross-examined earlier this month.
Prominent farmers
Can you tell this court some of the farmers you interacted with during your time at Assin Fosu, the witness was asked.
He replied, “my Lord, there are a lot of farmers at Assin Fosu and I interacted with many of whom I can not mention their names but I can mention some prominent ones like Nana kwasi Ofori who is the Central regional chief farmer, Acquanus, Samuel Torbi, Gordon Oduro and just a few.”
Asked how he got to know Samuel Torbi, who is the second defence witness, he said: “Samuel Torbi is a very prominent and hard working farmer whom I know way back in 2013 and was one time national best young farmer.”
The court presided over by a justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Clemence Jackson Honyenuga sitting with additional responsibility as a High Court judge adjourned sitting to June 29.
