ODSG Calls for Public Support to Curb Cocoa Adulteration
The Ondo State Government has called for the support of the general public in exposing and providing information that could lead to the arrest of cocoa merchants involved in adulteration.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Chief Segun Odusanya, made this call on Tuesday when the task force team intercepted a truckload of adulterants at Lipakala Junction, Ondo West Local Government Area.
The adulterants included dried cocoa placenta, discovered during a routine patrol.
In a statement released by the Head of Media and Public Relations at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Mr. Sola Omoboyowa, Chief Odusanya stated that unscrupulous individuals have been mixing dried cocoa placenta with cocoa beans to increase the weight, thereby sabotaging the economy.
He reaffirmed that the ministry would make the state inhospitable for such operators, as their actions damage the cocoa trade and tarnish the state’s international image.
Odusanya, who appreciated the efforts of many produce merchants supporting the government’s campaign against adulteration, appealed to the public to provide information on such activities. He assured that the ministry would take swift action against offenders.
The suspect, he said, is expected to pay a fine, and the seized adulterants and vehicle will be destroyed to serve as a deterrent.
The Assistant Director of Produce and Area Officer for Ondo West, Mr. Philip Omotayo Akintorinwa, disclosed that the truckload of adulterants, including dried cocoa placenta, was intercepted at Lipakala Junction in Ondo.
He stated that the truck, which was initially taken to Yaba Police Station for safekeeping, has now been transferred to the Ministry in Akure for destruction.
Mr. Akintorinwa noted that it would have been very difficult to detect the adulterants if they had already been mixed with cocoa beans, as the added weight would attract a higher price.
According to him, perpetrators adulterate cocoa because of its high demand and price on the international market. However, the ministry is committed to eradicating such practices through the task force team established for this purpose.
The seized bags of adulterants, used to tamper with cocoa beans and confiscated from a cocoa merchant, were destroyed at the ministry’s premises in Alagbaka, Akure, the Ondo State capital.
