- Govt allocates 5.2 million tonnes of rice for ethanol blending, fixes prices
- Wrote a letter to the Chief Ministers of States and Union Territories and asked them to take action by running a campaign
- Shivraj Singh Chouhan highlights to eliminate the problem of fake and substandard agricultural inputs from its roots
NE AGRICULTURE BUREAU
NEW DELHI, JULY 13
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has written a letter to the Chief Ministers of all states and Union Territories, urging them to stop the forced tagging of nano-fertilisers or bio-stimulant products with conventional fertilisers. He also called for strict action against the sale of substandard fertilizers and their black-marketing.
Sources said that Chouhan’s letter followed feedback from farmers during the fortnight-long ‘Vikshit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan,’ which concluded last month, as well as from interactions outside the campaign.
The minister had also stated during a review meeting of the campaign that special steps, including stringent laws, should be enacted to curb the spread of spurious seeds and fertilisers among farmers.
Regarding the forced tagging of nano products such as nano urea and nano-DAP with conventional fertilisers, sources noted that companies have often been found resorting to such practices to boost sales.
In the letter, an official statement issued on Sunday said that Chouhan also directed the state CMs to take immediate and strict action against counterfeit and substandard fertilisers.
H e highlighted that the sale of counterfeit or substandard fertilisers is prohibited under the Fertilizer (Control) Order, 1985, which falls under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.
Furthermore, Chouhan stated in the letter that it is the responsibility of the states to ensure the adequate availability of fertilisers at the right places and locations where they are needed.
Therefore, states must strictly monitor and take swift action against activities such as black-marketing, overpricing, and the diversion of subsidised fertilisers.
He also instructed them to ensure regular monitoring of fertiliser production and sales, as well as strict control over counterfeit and substandard products through sampling and testing.
On the forced tagging of nano-fertilisers or bio-stimulant products with conventional fertilizers, Chouhan insisted that it should be “stopped” immediately.
“Strict legal action, including the cancellation of licences and registration of FIRs, should be taken against the culprits, and effective prosecution must be ensured to secure conviction,” the statement said.
The letter also directed states to develop feedback and information systems involving farmers or farmer groups in the monitoring process and to make special efforts to educate farmers on how to identify genuine and counterfeit products.
Chouhan urged all states to launch a state-wide campaign in line with these directions to eliminate the problem of fake and substandard agricultural inputs at its roots.
The Central government has decided to provide 5.2 million tonnes of rice from FCI godowns for ethanol blending at a price of Rs 2,250 per quintal until October 2025, and at a rate of Rs 2,320 per quintal from November to June 2026. The rates were announced as part of the recent policy on Open Market Sales (OMSS) of wheat and rice. Additionally, 3.2 million tonnes of rice have been allocated to state governments and for use in community kitchens at the same price. For wheat, the Centre has fixed a price of Rs 2,550 per quintal for sale to private parties, cooperative agencies, and others. However, subsidy support for rice sold under the ‘Bharat’ brand has been discontinued.
