Lok Sabha Question No. 309 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-15
Subject: Adulterated Fertilizers and Pesticides
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Uttam Kumar Nalamada Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 309

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 15 TH  SEPTEMBER, 2020

## ADULTERATED FERTILIZERS & PESTICIDES

309.   SHRI UTTAM KUMAR REDDY NALAMADA:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a): the  number  of  cases  of  fake  or  adulterated  fertilizers  and  pesticides  being  sold  to farmers every year in the last five years;
- (b): the number of convictions for such cases;
- (c): the details of the quantum of punishment for such crimes;
- (d): the details of the kind of testing undertaken by the Government to ensure the quality of  pesticides  and  fertilizers,  including  the  number  of  samples  of  fertilizers  as  well  as pesticides tested every year for the last five years; and
- (e): the  number  of  factories  in  the  country  that  produce  fertilisers  and  the  number  of factories that produce pesticides?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

## (a) to (e): Fertilisers:

Under  the  Fertiliser  (Control)  Order,  1985  (FCO),  the  State  Governments  are empowered to appoint Fertiliser Inspectors for enforcement of the provisions of FCO.  The Fertiliser Inspectors are empowered to draw the samples and send the same for testing to the laboratories notified/specified under  FCO,  1985.  There  are  83  Fertiliser testing laboratories  in  the  country.    These  labs  are  carrying  out  analysis  as  per  the  procedure prescribed in Schedule II of the FCO.

Violation  of  the  provision  of  the  FCO  invokes  both  administrative  action  under  the FCO and penal  action under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 (ECA). The punishment prescribed for violation  of the  provision  of  the  Order  issued under  the ECA  is for  a term which shall not be less than 3 months but which may extend to seven years and shall also be liable to fine.

As per the information made available by the State Governments, the details of the number of fertilizer samples declared non-standard during the last five years are as under:

|   S.No. | Year    |   No. of sample analysed |   No. of sample found non- standard |   Percentage of sample of non standard |
|---------|---------|--------------------------|-------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|
|       1 | 2015-16 |                   131785 |                                6486 |                                    4.9 |
|       2 | 2016-17 |                   137080 |                                7265 |                                    5.3 |
|       3 | 2017-18 |                   138602 |                                7102 |                                    5.1 |
|       4 | 2018-19 |                   138700 |                                7150 |                                    5.1 |
|       5 | 2019-20 |                   145194 |                                7466 |                                    5.1 |

Out of the above cases, prosecution has been launched in 1096 cases and conviction has been awarded in 5 cases. (as exported by states).

There are around 45  major fertiliser manufacturing units in the country.

## Pesticides:

As  per  the  Insecticides  Act,  1968,  for  monitoring  of  quality  of  pesticides,  191  and 10303  Insecticides  Inspectors  have  been  notified  by  the  Central  &  State  Governments respectively. Samples are collected by these Insecticides Inspectors and tested in 70 State Pesticide  Testing  laboratories  and  2  Regional  Pesticide  Testing  Laboratories.  Action  is initiated under the provisions of the Insecticides Act, 1968 against those samples which are found misbranded.

During the last 05 years, 3,38,182 samples were analyzed, 3971 prosecutions have been launched against firms and dealers whose samples were found sub-standard.

Hon'ble  Court  has  convicted  the  firms  and  imposed  fines  ranging  from  Rs.3000  to Rs. 1,40,000 in 189 cases.

As  per  the  information  received  from  21  State  Governments  and  2  UTs,  there  are 2403 pesticides manufacturing units in the country.

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