By Abdullahi Lukman
The Ondo State Government has destroyed a truckload of adulterated cocoa materials seized from a merchant at Lipakala Junction in Ondo West Local Government Area.
Chief Segun Odusanya, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, said the seizure was made during a routine patrol by the state’s task force team.
He revealed that the merchant had mixed dried cocoa placenta with cocoa beans to increase the overall weight of the produce.
Odusanya condemned the act, saying it sabotages the economy and damages the reputation of the state’s cocoa trade on the global stage.
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He warned that Ondo State would not tolerate such practices and urged genuine cocoa merchants to cooperate with the government in identifying offenders.
“We are appealing to the public to provide information on merchants who tamper with cocoa beans so we can act swiftly,” he said, adding that the suspect would be fined while both the adulterants and the vehicle used had been impounded.
The destruction of the seized items, he said, is part of ongoing efforts to discourage produce adulteration and protect the integrity of the state’s agricultural exports.
Mr. Philip Akintorinwa, Assistant Director of Produce and Area Officer for Ondo West, explained that the act of adulteration is driven by rising international demand and prices for cocoa.
He said the state is committed to curbing such activities through sustained enforcement.
