Union Agriculture Minister Urges States to Curb Forced Tagging and Sale of Fake Fertilisers

Centre Urges States to Halt Forced Tagging of Nano Fertilisers, Crack Down on Fake Products.

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has written to the Chief Ministers of all states and Union Territories, urging them to immediately stop the practice of forcefully bundling nano-fertilisers or bio-stimulants with conventional fertilisers — a move reportedly used by certain companies to inflate product sales artificially.

In his letter, the Minister also called for:

• Strict action against the sale of counterfeit and substandard fertilisers
• Curbing black marketing, hoarding, and overpricing
• Ensuring the timely and sufficient availability of fertilisers in all regions
• Tight surveillance and regular quality testing of fertiliser production and distribution

Chouhan cited the Fertiliser (Control) Order, 1985, and the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, under which the sale of spurious fertilisers is a punishable offence. He directed states to initiate firm legal action, including license cancellations, FIR registrations, and fast-track prosecution to ensure convictions.

The Minister’s instructions come in response to farmers’ concerns raised during the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan and other recent consultations, which highlighted rising issues around fake seeds, low-quality fertilisers, and forced nano product tagging.

Union Agriculture Minister Urges States to Curb Forced Tagging and Sale of Fake Fertilisers.

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Chouhan further stressed the need for stronger legal provisions to eliminate the circulation of spurious agro-inputs, warning that such practices severely impact crop yield and farmer income.