ICAR to Validate Biostimulants Before Sale, Says Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Takes Strong Stand on Biostimulant Sales, Questions ICAR and Agriculture Department’s Accountability
15 July 2025, New Delhi: In a high-level review meeting held at Krishi Bhawan, Union Minister for Agriculture, Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, took a firm stance on the unregulated sale of biostimulants in the country. The meeting, attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), saw the Minister raise sharp questions about the efficacy, regulation, and oversight of biostimulant products being sold to Indian farmers.
Minister Questions Motives Behind Biostimulant Approvals
Displaying clear dissatisfaction, Shivraj Singh questioned whether the Ministry and ICAR are truly serving the interests of farmers or merely facilitating corporate gains. He warned officials that under no circumstances would he allow Indian farmers to be deceived in the name of biostimulants.
Referring specifically to small and marginal farmers, he emphasized that officials must always consider the welfare of these vulnerable communities while granting product approvals. He reiterated that injustice to farmers will not be tolerated and it is the government’s duty to shield them from commercial exploitation.
Ground-Level Complaints
The Minister’s concern is rooted in ground-level feedback received during his recent 15-day campaign across rural India under the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan. During his direct interactions with farmers in fields and villages across various states, many expressed distress over the proliferation of counterfeit inputs, including fake fertilizers, poor-quality seeds, ineffective pesticides, dubious biostimulants, and questionable nano urea products. Reacting to these complaints, Shivraj Singh declared in the meeting that he could not remain silent after hearing such grievances from genuine, honest farmers.
Questions on Biostimulant History and Regulation
During the review, Shivraj Singh raised several critical questions with attending officials. He sought clarity on the historical background of biostimulants, their timeline of entry into the Indian market, current usage status, the number of registered products, and how many of those have undergone proper verification. He demanded details on how many applications are still pending, what kind of regulatory mechanisms exist, whether any credible field trial data is available to support the claims of efficacy, and how the government is ensuring quality control in the market.
He further raised concerns about the absence of standard testing protocols, the ability to distinguish genuine products from fake ones, and what legal provisions are in place to penalize companies in case of fraud or malpractice. The Minister made it clear that these questions are not only on the minds of farmers but are also of personal concern to him as the head of the ministry.
ICAR Validation Now Mandatory for Biostimulants
In a decisive directive, he ordered that biostimulants must undergo scientific evaluation by ICAR to assess their usefulness to farmers. He stressed that it is vital to confirm their technical efficacy through field trials and data before allowing their continued sale. Shivraj Singh criticized the lack of regulatory discipline over the past few years, highlighting that for a long time, around 30,000 biostimulant products were sold without adequate oversight.
In the past four years, about 8,000 such products remained in circulation. He said that following his intervention, the number has now reduced to approximately 650, adding that such unchecked practices must stop immediately. “This is not a spectacle,” he warned, “and such negligence cannot be allowed to continue.”
Only Scientifically Proven Products Will Be Allowed
The Minister instructed officials to compile comprehensive information about all biostimulant products in circulation and ensure that only those meeting all scientific, regulatory, and farmer-centric standards receive approval. He underlined that approvals must now be based strictly on scientific validation and measurable benefits to farmers. The responsibility for ensuring this, he noted, lies directly with the concerned officials. Shivraj Singh also issued a clear warning that any future lapses or irregularities will not be tolerated, and strict action will be taken against those found negligent.
Agriculture Institutions Must Serve Farmers, Not Companies
In a strongly worded remark, the Minister asked the officials whether the Agriculture Department and ICAR exist to serve Indian farmers or to benefit commercial companies. He demanded to see data that demonstrates how biostimulants have contributed to increased crop productivity and declared that only those products that can prove tangible benefits will be allowed in the future. He emphasized that the entire system—from research to approval—must operate transparently and be aligned with farmers’ needs. Farmers across the country trust the government, the ministry, and the scientific institutions, and it is the collective responsibility of policymakers, administrators, and scientists to uphold that trust.
SOP to Be Prepared for Biostimulant Regulation
In closing, Shivraj Singh called for a complete overhaul of the regulatory process and directed the preparation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for biostimulant approvals and monitoring. He reiterated that decisions and frameworks must be designed keeping farmers at the center and ensured that from now on, only genuine and effective products would find a place in the Indian agricultural market.
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