Lok Sabha Question No. 1047 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-25
Subject: Sale of Spurious Fertilizers
Ministry: CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS
Asked by: Shri Babu Singh Kushwaha, Shri Daroga Prasad Saroj

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS DEPARTMENT OF FERTILIZERS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1047 TO BE ANSWERED ON: 25.07.2025

## SALE OF SPURIOUS FERTILIZERS

## 1047: SHRI BABU SINGH KUSHWAHA: SHRI DAROGA PRASAD SAROJ:

Will the Minister of CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether the Government has taken note of the fact that companies often sell spurious or low quality fertilizers to farmers, causing damage to crops and suffer financial losses;
- (b)  if so, the number of such cases reported during the last five year, State-wise including Uttar Pradesh along with the action taken in such cases;
- (c)    whether it is a fact that several cases of sale of spurious or low quality fertilizers have been registered in Uttar Pradesh during the recent years and if so, the details thereof;
- (d)  whether any concrete action has been taken against such fraudulent companies apart from registering FIRs and seizing fertilizers, if so, the details thereof and if not, the response of the Government thereto;
- (e) whether the Government proposes to issue any guidelines to take strict action against such companies and if so, the details thereto; and
- (f) whether the Government is aware that growing prices and reduction in weight of fertilizers and short weight of fertilizers every successive year is putting excessive financial burden on the farmers across the country rendering them unable to procure fertilizers for their farming, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS & FERTILIZERS

(SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)

(a)  to  (e)  The  Fertilizer  Control  Order  (FCO)-1985  has  laid  down  fertilizer-wise  detailed specifications. Any fertilizer, not meeting the said specifications, cannot be sold in the country for agricultural purpose. Clause 19 of FCO strictly prohibits the sale or manufacture of fertilizers which  are  not  of  prescribed  standards.  Any  sale  of  spurious  or  low  quality  fertilizers  is punishable under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.

Moreover, quality control of fertilizers comes under the purview of State Governments. In  order to regulate the sale of duplicate fertilizers in the State, there   is a District Quality control mechanism for awareness & vigilance at the field level and awareness is spread among the farmers on the regular basis through press note, TV talks, Kishan Gosti, Krushimela, Krushi Mahotsav etc.

Accordingly, as per the information received from States including the State of Uttar Pradesh, the information regarding the number of cases of spurious or low quality fertilizers in the States and action taken against them during the last 5 years is placed at Annexure.

(f) Subsequent to the introduction of Neem Coated Urea (NCU), one of the primary benefits of Neem Coating is that due to slow release, the consumption of NCU reduces as compared to normal Urea. Hence, vide notification dated 4th September 2017, it was decided to introduce 45 Kg bag of Urea in place of 50 kg bag. Under the Urea Subsidy Scheme, Urea is provided to the farmers at a statutorily notified Maximum Retail Price (MRP). The MRP of 45 kg bag of urea is Rs.242 per bag (exclusive of charges towards neem coating and taxes as applicable) since 01.03.2018.

Further,  Government  has  implemented  Nutrient  Based  Subsidy  (NBS)  Policy  w.e.f. 01.04.2010 for Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) Fertilizers. Under of the policy, a fixed amount of subsidy, decided on annual/bi-annual basis, is provided on notified P&K fertilizers depending on their  nutrient  content.  Under NBS Scheme, MRP is fixed by fertilizer companies as per market dynamics at  reasonable level  which  is  monitored  by  the  Government. However, to ensure  affordability,  special  provisions  like  Rs.  3500  per  MT  to  cover  Other  Costs'  which includes  costs  incurred  from  factory  gate  to  farm  gate,  advantage  /  disadvantage  due  to increase /decrease in international prices, provision for GST component included in the MRP and provision for reasonable return @ 4% of net MRP (MRP-GST) have been extended to both imported and domestic DAP and imported TSP over and above NBS subsidy for Kharif 2025 season.

*******

## Annexure

| Annexure referred to in reply to (a) to (e) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No 1047 for answering on 25.07.2025   | Annexure referred to in reply to (a) to (e) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No 1047 for answering on 25.07.2025   | Annexure referred to in reply to (a) to (e) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No 1047 for answering on 25.07.2025   | Annexure referred to in reply to (a) to (e) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No 1047 for answering on 25.07.2025   |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Number of cases related to Spurious or Low Quality Fertilizers reported by States during last 5 years             | Number of cases related to Spurious or Low Quality Fertilizers reported by States during last 5 years             | Number of cases related to Spurious or Low Quality Fertilizers reported by States during last 5 years             | Number of cases related to Spurious or Low Quality Fertilizers reported by States during last 5 years             |
| 1                                                                                                                 | Andaman and Nicobar                                                                                               | NIL                                                                                                               | NIL                                                                                                               |
| 2                                                                                                                 | Andhra Pradesh                                                                                                    | NIL                                                                                                               | NIL                                                                                                               |
| 3                                                                                                                 | Arunachal Pradesh                                                                                                 | NIL                                                                                                               | NIL                                                                                                               |
| 4                                                                                                                 | Assam                                                                                                             | 5                                                                                                                 | Lincences of the concerned were cancelled.                                                                        |
| 5                                                                                                                 | Bihar                                                                                                             | NIL                                                                                                               | NIL                                                                                                               |
| 6                                                                                                                 | Chhattisgarh                                                                                                      | 1                                                                                                                 | action against the fertilizer company is under proces in the court of distric collector.                          |
| 7                                                                                                                 | Dadra and Nagar                                                                                                   | NIL                                                                                                               | NIL                                                                                                               |
| 8                                                                                                                 | Daman and Diu                                                                                                     | NIL                                                                                                               | NIL                                                                                                               |
| 9                                                                                                                 | Delhi                                                                                                             | NIL                                                                                                               | NIL                                                                                                               |
| 10                                                                                                                | Goa                                                                                                               | NIL                                                                                                               | NIL                                                                                                               |
| 11                                                                                                                | Gujarat                                                                                                           | NIL                                                                                                               | NIL                                                                                                               |
| 12                                                                                                                | Haryana                                                                                                           | 707                                                                                                               | 52 FIR registered                                                                                                 |
| 13                                                                                                                | Himachal Pradesh                                                                                                  | NIL                                                                                                               | NIL                                                                                                               |
| 14                                                                                                                | Jammu and kashmir                                                                                                 | NIL                                                                                                               | NIL                                                                                                               |
| 15                                                                                                                | Jharkhand                                                                                                         | NIL                                                                                                               | NIL                                                                                                               |
| 16                                                                                                                | Karnataka                                                                                                         | 14                                                                                                                | 14 FIR registered                                                                                                 |
| 17                                                                                                                | Kerala                                                                                                            | No. of cases reported for Fake Fertilizers: NIL N o. of Cases of Substandard fertilizers: 1026                    | License suspended -5 Hearing conducted - 72 Warning - 247 Explanation called for - 577 Show cause notice - 126    |
| 18                                                                                                                | Lakshadweep                                                                                                       | NIL                                                                                                               | NIL                                                                                                               |
| 19                                                                                                                | Madhya Pradesh                                                                                                    | 17                                                                                                                | Action Taken as per FCO-1985 & ECA-1955.                                                                          |
| 20                                                                                                                | Maharashtra                                                                                                       | 37                                                                                                                | 37                                                                                                                |

|   21 | Manipur       | NIL   | NIL                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|------|---------------|-------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|   22 | Meghalaya     | NIL   | NIL                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|   23 | Mizoram       | NIL   | NIL                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|   24 | Odisha        | 610   | LoA cancelled: 94, LoA suspended: 228, Other action (stop sale/seizure): 267, Prosecution launched: 21                                                                                                                                              |
|   25 | Puducherry    | NIL   | NIL                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|   26 | Punjab        | 487   | The licenses of these companies were revoked. 146 Cases are pending in various courts againt companies that supplied substandard fertilizers to farmers and 18 FIRs have been filed against the defaulter in such cases across the State of Punjab. |
|   27 | Rajasthan     | NIL   | NIL                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|   28 | Sikkim        | NIL   | NIL                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|   29 | Tamil Nadu    | 01    | The Trial is proceeding at Hon'ble JM Court No. 2, Coimbatore.                                                                                                                                                                                      |
|   30 | Telangana     | NIL   | NIL                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|   31 | Tripura       | NIL   | NIL                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|   32 | Uttarakhand   | NIL   | NIL                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|   33 | Uttar Pradesh | 44    | 44 FIRs registered                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
|   35 | West Bengal   | 3127  | Action Taken as per FCO-1985.                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |