Mr Francis Cyril Attu Asiedu, who retired from the Cocoa Health and Extension Division (CHED) of Ghana Cocoa Board (Cocobod) as the Kade District Extension Officer, has told Justice Aboagye Tandoh’s court that Lithovit fertiliser produced by Agricult Company Limited was neither a substandard agrochemical nor fraud perpetrated on the Ghana Cocoa Board (Cocobod).

On the contrary, he said it “increases yield greatly,” adding that none of the 9,260 cocoa farmers who owned 14,670 separate farms in the Kade District reported anything adverse about the fertiliser after applying it to their plantation.

Continuing his evidence-in-chief as the eighth defence witness in the ongoing GHS217-million financial loss case involving former Cocobod CEO Stephen Opuni and businessman Seidu Agongo who owns Agricult, Mr Asiedu insisted that none of the 9, 260 farmers who were supplied with Lithovit made any adverse complaints about it.

Rather, he noted, “they requested more.”

Also, he said there were no complaints from any of the 14,670 farms on which Lithovit was applied.

At the regional level, too, “We had reports of good yield and complaints about the shortage of fertiliser,” he added while being led by Mr Benson Nutsukpui, lead counsel for Mr Agongo.

“During regional meetings, there were no complaints submitted about Lithovit,” he added, noting that the Asamankese District Extension Coordinator also reported no complaints about the use of Lithovit.

Asked what he made of claims that the fertiliser was substandard, Mr Asiedu responded: “I disagree with that statement because it has proven to be very effective.”

Additionally, he said anybody who says ‘Lithovit is not a good fertiliser but a fraud on Cocobod’ “does not know what he is talking about,” stressing: “The farmers liked it and approved it.”

However, he told the court that despite its effectiveness, “We were instructed not to use it again in Kade,” in 2017 without being specific on the date, which he said he could not recollect exactly.

That instruction, Mr Asiedu noted, was “from above within Cocobod” but “I don’t know the exact person”.

The instruction came “after a new administration” took over Cocobod following the change in government after the 2016 elections.

“I heard Lithovit was a case in court,” he answered when asked if he knew why the discontinuation order was given.

“To the best of my knowledge, no,” he responded when asked if any official explanation was given.

He said as an extension coordinator, he would still “approve,” the use of Lithovit, adding that the 9,260 farmers in the Kade District would, too, as “some of the farmers are still requesting Lithovit.”