Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan instructs to curb the black marketing of subsidised fertilisers

Addressing the escalating threat of fake and substandard fertilisers, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has written a letter to the Chief Ministers of all states, instructing them to take swift and strict action to curb the black marketing of subsidised fertilisers. The letter, issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, demanded coordinated state-level action to discard the dangerous practices that weaken the faith and productivity of India’s farming community.

Furthermore, the Minister asserted that Agriculture is the backbone of the country. He underscored the government's duty to ensure that farmers obtain fertilisers of standard quality, on time, and at affordable prices, emphasising that the sale of fake or low-quality fertilisers is an unethical and punishable offence under the Fertiliser (Control) Order, 1985, which comes under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.

Additionally, directing states for the immediate action, the Minister issued instructions such as strict surveillance of the fertiliser supply chain to discard black marketing, overpricing, and diversion, including regular sampling and testing to recognise substandard products. Not only this, but a swift halt to the forced tagging of nano-fertilisers or bio-stimulants with ordinary fertilisers. Besides this, he also urged taking legal action, including the cancellation of licenses, registration of FIRs, and effective prosecution

On a related note, the States have also been directed to involve farmers in the monitoring process, boosting Vigilance. He further asked about the development of robust feedback systems and real-time reporting mechanisms with the appropriate participation of farmer groups. Apart from all these, awareness campaigns should be launched to help the farmers and make them learn to differentiate between real and fake products. Moreover, Chauhan asked all States and Union Territories to launch aggressive awareness and enforcement drives to completely eradicate the network of fake fertilisers. He demanded that consistent supervision at the state level will play a significant role in securing timely access to high-quality agricultural inputs, hence protecting farmers’ incomes and boosting national food security.