Lok Sabha Question No. 1261 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-06
Subject: Quality and Price Control of Fertilizers
Ministry: CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS
Asked by: Shri Zia Ur Rehman

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1261 TO BE ANSWERED ON: 06.02.2026

## Quality and Price Control of Fertilizers

## 1261: SHRI ZIA UR REHMAN:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  farmers  are  facing  issues  related  to availability,  pricing  and  quality  of  fertilizers  across  the  country,  State/district-wise including Sambhal district in Western Uttar Pradesh; and
- (b) if  so,  the  measures  taken/proposed to be taken to  ensure timely supply,  fair pricing and quality control of fertilizers for farmers?

## ANSWER

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

(SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)

- (a) and (b) Following steps are taken by the Government every season for ensuring timely and adequate availability of fertilizers in the country, including the State of Uttar Pradesh:
- (i) Before the commencement  of  each cropping season, Department of Agriculture  and  Farmers  Welfare  (DA&FW),  in  consultation  with  all  the  State Governments, assesses the State-wise & month-wise requirement of fertilizers.
- (ii) On the basis of requirement projected by DA&FW, D/o Fertilizers allocates adequate  quantities  of  fertilizers  to  States  by  issuing  monthly  supply  plan  and continuously monitors the availability.
- (iii) The movement of all major subsidized fertilizers is monitored throughout the country  by  an  on-line  web-based  monitoring  system  called  integrated  Fertilizer Management System (iFMS).
- (iv) The State Governments are regularly advised to coordinate with manufacturers and importers for streamlining the supplies through timely placement of indents.

The availability of fertilizers viz. Urea, DAP, MOP & NPKS has remained adequate across  the  States  during  the  ongoing  Rabi  2025-26  season.  The  information regarding requirement, availability, sales and closing stock of these fertilizers in the States, including the State of Uttar Pradesh, during the ongoing Rabi 2025-26 season is placed at Annexure-A .

However, the distribution of fertilizers within the State at district level is done by the concerned State government.

Further, as per information received from the State Government of Uttar Pradesh, the availability of fertilizers viz. Urea, DAP and NPKS in Sambhal district has remained adequate during the FY 2025-26. The information regarding availability, sales and stock  position  of  these  fertilizers  in  Sambhal  district  for  the  period  01.04.2025  to 31.01.2026 is as under:

(Qty. in MT)

|   S. No. | Fertilizer   | Availability   | Sale     | Stock   |
|----------|--------------|----------------|----------|---------|
|        1 | Urea         | 1,68,554       | 1,54,549 | 14,005  |
|        2 | DAP          | 26,939         | 23,253   | 3,686   |
|        3 | NPK          | 55,740         | 43,451   | 12,289  |

Moreover,  in  order  to  ensure  the  availability  of  Urea  at  affordable  prices,  Urea  is supplied  under the  Urea  Subsidy  Scheme 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). The difference between the delivered cost  of  Urea  at farm  gate  and  net  market  realization  by  the  urea  units is  given  as subsidy to the Urea manufacturer/importer by the Government of India. Accordingly, all farmers are being supplied Urea at the subsidized rate.

Further, for Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilizers, the Government  has implemented  Nutrient  Based  Subsidy  Policy  w.e.f.  01.04.2010.  Under  NBS  policy, P&K fertilizers are covered under Open General License (OGL) and companies are free to import / manufacture these fertilizers as per their business dynamics. The NBS subsidy is provided to manufacturer / importer on notified P&K fertilizers on its PoS sale during the season, depending on their nutrient content to ensure availability of fertilizers  to  farmers.  The  volatility  in  international  prices  of  key  fertilizers  and  raw materials is  considered  while  fixing  NBS  rates  for  P&K  fertilizers  so  that  fertilizers remain affordable to the farmers

In  addition, to make DAP available at affordable price of Rs. 1,350 per 50 kg bag, special provisions like Rs. 3,500 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 Rabi 2025-26 season to keep the prices of fertilizers stable.

Moreover, in order to address the issue of overpricing/black-marketing, fertilizers are declared as an essential commodity under the Essential Commodities Act,1955 and notified under Fertilizer Control Order, 1985. State Governments are empowered to take action against persons involved in said malpractices, as per provisions of EC Act. Any complaints received at Department of Fertilizers level regarding these malpractices is sent to concerned State Government to take appropriate action under Essential Commodities Act, 1955 and Fertilizer Control Order, 1985.

Besides, for ensuring adequate availability of good quality fertilizers to the farmers, 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 substandard/fake/adulterated  fertilizers  is  punishable  under  Essential  Commodities Act, 1955. The State Governments are the enforcement agencies and are adequately empowered to enforce the provisions of FCO. Every sample drawn by Inspector is analysed  as  per  the  methods  of  analysis  given  in  FCO  in  a  Laboratory  notified  by Central/State Government. CFQCTI, a subordinate office of INM Division DA&FW has, 4 laboratories viz. Central Fertilizer Quality Control & Training Institute (CFQC&TI) and its  three  Regional  Fertilizer  Control  Laboratories  (RFCLs)  located  at  Navi  Mumbai, Chennai and Kalyani. Any violation of fertilizer control order invokes both penal action of  punishment  from  3  month  to  7  years  and  administrative  action  of  cancellation/ Suspension  of  authorization  letter.  Accordingly,  the  details  regarding  enforcement measures taken by the States, as informed by them, from 01.04.2025 to 31.01.2026, to check overpricing and sales of sub-standard fertilizers is placed at Annexure-B .

Furthermore,  whenever  any  case  of  non-standard  fertilizer  is  reported  by  the State/UT's Agriculture Department, D/o Fertilizers recovers the subsidy amount from the pending subsidy claims of the concerned fertilizer company immediately, as per the applicable procedure.

*******

| Annexure referred to in reply to part (a)& (b) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No 1261 for answering on 06.02.2026 STATE WISE FERTILIZERS AVAILABILITY POSITION FOR RABI 2025-26 (TILL 02/02/26)   |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) & (b) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No 1261 for answering on 06.02.2026

## Cumulative Statement of Enforcement Activities

## Action taken by the State Governments to check black marketing, hoarding, quality check, diversion etc during the period from 01.04.2025 to 30.01.2026

|                   | Black Marketing          | Black Marketing                     | Black Marketing   | Sub Standard Quality     | Sub Standard Quality                | Sub Standard Quality   |
|-------------------|--------------------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------|--------------------------|-------------------------------------|------------------------|
| States            | Show cause notice issued | No. of licenses cancelled/suspended | FIR registered    | Show cause notice issued | No. of licenses cancelled/suspended | FIR registered         |
| Andhra Pradesh    | 80                       | 10                                  | 9                 | 346                      | 0                                   | 0                      |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 0                        | 0                                   | 0                 | 0                        | 0                                   | 0                      |
| Assam             | 12                       | 6                                   | 1                 | 46                       | 1                                   | 0                      |
| Bihar             | 1241                     | 782                                 | 116               | 5                        | 0                                   | 0                      |
| Chhattisgarh      | 295                      | 13                                  | 4                 | 145                      | 5                                   | 0                      |
| Dadar & Nagar     | 0                        | 0                                   | 0                 | 0                        | 0                                   | 0                      |
| Delhi             | 0                        | 0                                   | 1                 | 3                        | 0                                   | 0                      |
| Goa               | 544                      | 180                                 | 6                 | 32                       | 1                                   | 0                      |
| Gujarat           | 46                       | 3                                   | 1                 | 117                      | 2                                   | 0                      |
| Haryana           | 65                       | 15                                  | 10                | 51                       | 12                                  | 6                      |
| Himachal Pradesh  | 0                        | 0                                   | 0                 | 0                        | 0                                   | 0                      |
| Jammu & Kashmir   | 143                      | 44                                  | 2                 | 66                       | 2                                   | 0                      |
| Jharkhand         | 57                       | 20                                  | 11                | 2                        | 0                                   | 0                      |
| Karnataka         | 368                      | 25                                  | 1                 | 244                      | 14                                  | 2                      |
| Kerala            | 0                        | 0                                   | 0                 | 50                       | 0                                   | 0                      |
| Madhya Pradesh    | 0                        | 0                                   | 91                | 739                      | 44                                  | 4                      |
| Maharashtra       | 16                       | 0                                   | 16                | 1567                     | 1354                                | 44                     |
| Manipur           | 0                        | 0                                   | 0                 | 0                        | 0                                   | 0                      |
| Meghalaya         | 0                        | 0                                   | 0                 | 0                        | 0                                   | 0                      |
| Mizoram           | 1                        | 0                                   | 0                 | 0                        | 0                                   | 0                      |
| Nagaland          | 14                       | 0                                   | 14                | 101                      | 0                                   | 0                      |
| Odisha            | 4                        | 3                                   | 2                 | 55                       | 1                                   | 1                      |
| Puducherry        | 0                        | 0                                   | 0                 | 0                        | 0                                   | 0                      |
| Punjab            | 37                       | 1                                   | 1                 | 293                      | 92                                  | 3                      |
| Rajasthan         | 652                      | 118                                 | 47                | 506                      | 1                                   | 2                      |
| Tamilnadu         | 14                       | 0                                   | 4                 | 33                       | 25                                  | 0                      |
| Telangana         | 5                        | 9                                   | 3                 | 128                      | 0                                   | 0                      |
| Tripura           | 0                        | 0                                   | 0                 | 0                        | 0                                   | 0                      |
| Uttar Pradesh     | 2341                     | 2901                                | 179               | 164                      | 151                                 | 20                     |
| Uttarakhand       | 0                        | 0                                   | 0                 | 0                        | 0                                   | 0                      |
| West Bengal       | 0                        | 0                                   | 0                 | 286                      | 0                                   | 0                      |
| Total             | 5935                     | 4130                                | 519               | 4979                     | 1705                                | 82                     |

## Annexure-B