A former District Extension Coordinator of the Cocoa Health and Extension Division (CHED) under COCOBOD, Mr. Francis Cyril Attu Asiedu, has testified in an ongoing trial involving former COCOBOD Chief Executive and two others, that cocoa farmers in his jurisdiction at Kade district praised Lithovit liquid fertilizer for significantly increasing their cocoa yields.

Speaking at the Accra High Court, Mr Asiedu, who served as the District Extension Coordinator from 2014 until his retirement in 2021, provided extensive evidence on the positive impact of Lithovit fertilizer.

He confirmed that during the 2014/15 cocoa season, farmers in the Kade district, where he worked, requested additional supplies of Lithovit due to the fertilizer's effectiveness in boosting cocoa production. 

“The farmers liked Lithovit, and they even requested more.

The yield was so impressive that one farmer said his only problem was spending too much time harvesting his cocoa,” Mr. Asiedu told the court on Tuesday, October 22, 2024.

He was giving his evidence-in-chief at the trial of the former COCOBOD Chief Executive, Dr. Stephen Opuni and businessman Seidu Agongo who are facing various charges, including defrauding by false pretences, willfully causing financial loss to the state, corruption by public officers and contravention of the Public Procurement Act. They have denied all the charges.

Evidence-Based Assessment

Mr. Asiedu’s evidence supported claims that Lithovit increased cocoa yields in the region.

He explained that farmers did not report any adverse effects from using lithovit fertilizer, stating that both farmers’ perceptions and field observations made by extension officers and himself as a District Extension Coordinator indicated that Lithovit liquid fertilizer was a beneficial product.

“My observation on the field was that Lithovit improved flowering patterns and pod formation.

The flowers were stable, and the pods were bigger, which led to higher yields,” he stated. 

The extension coordinator further noted that stable flowers on cocoa trees, that hitherto shed flowers excessively, were a key indicator of the fertilizer’s positive impact.

When asked whether any extension officers or farmers had made adverse reports regarding Lithovit, Mr Asiedu reiterated, “No, my Lord, there were no adverse reports.” 

Mr Francis Asiedu also dismissed claims from a witness statement alleging that Lithovit was ineffective and was drunk in place of water by farmers.

“That is false,” he said, explaining that education on the proper use of chemicals had been provided to farmers to prevent such practices.

Clarifying the extensive education provided to farmers on the chemical's use and its potential hazards, he said farmers are always cautioned using the example of tomato farmers in Akomadan who dip their fingers in agrochemicals and taste in order to test for their efficacy.

He added that this bad practice resulted in some men being rendered impotent in Akomadan in the Ashanti region. 

Demonstration Farms and Farmer Training

To introduce Lithovit to farmers, Mr. Asiedu described how the extension department organized farmer education rallies, farm demonstrations, and group meetings.

He also mentioned that he had used his own five-acre cocoa farm at Akyem Pramkese in the Eastern region as a demonstration site to teach farmers the proper application of Lithovit and other fertilizers.

He noted that his farm at Pramkese was recognized as a demonstration farm by COCOBOD, and farmers were regularly brought there to witness the results of using Lithovit. “We would show them the proper dosage and the correct way to handle the spraying nozzles,” he told the court.

Additionally, Mr. Asiedu emphasized the role of CHED in extending research findings to farmers, noting that extension officers served as the link between researchers and farmers.

They disseminated crucial information, such as the transition from planting cocoa at 8x10 feet spacing to the new 10x10 feet standard, and educated farmers on proper weeding, pruning, and fertilizer application techniques.

Professional Background

Mr. Asiedu, who is now 63 and retired, worked with COCOBOD for 23 years, beginning his career in 1998 as a Senior Technical Assistant. He rose through the ranks to become the District Extension Coordinator for Kade in 2014, overseeing the work of extension officers in key operational areas such as Akyem Pramkese, Akyem Techiman, Akyem Asuom, and Akyem  Tweapease. 

In his testimony, he highlighted his role in supervising the activities of mass spraying gangs, ensuring that chemicals were properly distributed and applied to cocoa farms across the district.

He also confirmed that the procedures for distributing chemicals, including Lithovit, were consistent across other districts he had worked in, such as Asamankese and Samreboi.