By Fatima Muraina

In a bid to regain the lost glory of cocoa, the Ondo State Government has destroyed bags of adulterants seized from a merchant who used them to adulterate cocoa beans in Omiluri, Ondo West Local Government area of the state.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (Forestry/Produce Sub-section), Mr Segun Odusanya, destroyed the adulterants  at the ministry’s complex in Akure.

Odusanya said the destruction was part of the government’s effort to ensure that the state maintains its quality in cocoa production in the country.

“Mr Governor has reiterated his commitment to ensuring that the state remains the highest cocoa-producing state with good quality. Anybody caught engaging in illegal activities will be prosecuted accordingly,” he said.

He noted that the action was meant to send a strong signal to all cocoa merchants intending to engage in illegal activities to reconsider before venturing into it.

“We are going to seal up any store found to be involved in illegal activities.

“The product will be destroyed, and the person will face the full wrath of the law,” he warned.

Adulterated cocoa, he said, gives the country a bad image both locally and in the international market, adding that the government is saying a firm ‘No’ to it.

Odusanya, however, commended the Governor for approving the recruitment of 60 new staff to checkmate the activities of cocoa merchants in the state.

He also commended the task force committee for ensuring that the state retains its position in the country and on the international market.

Earlier, the Director of Produce (DP3) in the Grading and Allied Department, Mr Tunji Akinnadeju, said the adulterated cocoa beans were intercepted at Ireje in Ondo East Local Government Area of the state.

Akinnadeju mentioned that the adulterants included dried kolanut, cocoa pods and shafts, disclosing that the owner of the adulterated cocoa beans fled at the time of arrest at the store.

“As we all know, cocoa is sold by weight. After adding all these materials, it becomes difficult to identify, and the product ends up being sold at a high price, which is unacceptable,” he explained.

“Doing this causes significant damage to the image of the state and the country at large in the international market,” he added.

Also speaking, Mr Sunday Adegbola, one of the Directors of Produce Licensing in the Ministry, said the actions of the merchant could affect human health during consumption of cocoa products if care is not taken.

Adegbola, who noted that the ministry would not rest until the state is free from adulterated cocoa beans, said the nefarious acts could be attributed to the price advantage on the international market.

“It’s about the price on the international market—it benefits genuine farmers, not those engaging in adulteration.

“With this kind of action, many people will consume cocoa in the form of chocolate, powder, and other products. If it has been adulterated, the chemical content of these products could have harmful effects on human health,” he warned.