Government Orders Nationwide Crackdown on Fake Fertilizers, Urges States to Launch Quality Assurance Campaign

14 July 2025, New Delhi: In a decisive move to safeguard farmers from counterfeit and substandard fertilizers, the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan has issued a directive to all Chief Ministers across States and Union Territories, urging immediate and strict action. The initiative aims to curb the rampant sale of fake fertilizers, black marketing of subsidized inputs, and illegal practices like forced tagging of nano and biostimulant products.

Highlighting agriculture as the backbone of India’s economy, the Union Minister emphasized that timely and affordable access to high-quality fertilizers is essential for ensuring stable farmer incomes. The letter reminded State authorities that selling fake or substandard fertilizers is a punishable offense under the Fertilizer (Control) Order, 1985, which is governed by the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.

As part of the urgent nationwide effort, States have been issued the following key instructions:

• Strict Surveillance: State governments must ensure that fertilizers are adequately available in key agricultural regions. Monitoring must be intensified to curb black marketing, overpricing, and diversion of subsidized fertilizers.
• Sampling and Testing: Regular quality checks through sampling and testing of fertilizers must be conducted to detect and prevent the circulation of substandard and counterfeit products.
• Ban on Forced Tagging: States must prohibit the forced bundling of nano-fertilizers or biostimulants with conventional fertilizers—an illegal practice affecting farmers’ choice and input quality.
• Strong Legal Action: Offenders must face strict consequences, including cancellation of licenses, registration of FIRs, and prosecution to secure convictions.
• Farmer Involvement and Awareness: States have been asked to build feedback mechanisms involving farmer groups and promote educational initiatives to help farmers identify genuine versus fake products.

The Agriculture Minister called upon all States to immediately launch a comprehensive campaign aligned with these directives. The aim is to root out the circulation of counterfeit agricultural inputs and strengthen farmer confidence in the supply chain. He reiterated that regular monitoring at the State level is crucial to ensuring long-term effectiveness and protecting farmers’ livelihoods.

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