India Ensures Adequate Fertilizer Supply, Cracks Down on Fake Products

The minister stated that the availability of major fertilisers such as Urea, DAP, MOP and NPKS has remained adequate across the country.

The minister highlighted that 41,24,000 metric tonnes of urea were produced by IFFCO units during April-January of FY 2025-26, up from 40,66,000 Metric Tonnes during the corresponding period of FY 2024-25, indicating steady production levels.

With regard to urea, the Government had announced the New Investment Policy (NIP) - 2012 on January 2, 2013 and its amendment on October 7, 2014, to facilitate fresh investment in the urea sector and to make India self-sufficient in urea production. Under NIP-2012, a total of six new urea units have been commissioned, including four units set up through Joint Venture Companies (JVCs) of nominated PSUs and two units established by private companies, he explained.

The units set up through JVCs include the Ramagundam urea unit of Ramagundam Fertilisers and Chemicals Ltd (RFCL) in Telangana, and three units of HURL located at Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh), Sindri (Jharkhand), and Barauni (Bihar).

The private sector units include the Panagarh urea unit of Matix Fertilisers and Chemicals Ltd (Matix) in West Bengal and the Gadepan-III urea unit of Chambal Fertilisers and Chemicals Ltd (CFCL) in Rajasthan.

Each of these units has an installed capacity of 12.7 Lakh Metric Tonne per annum (LMTPA) and is based on the latest energy-efficient technology. Together, they have added 76.2 LMTPA of urea production capacity, the minister said.

The Lok Sabha was also informed that the Government of India has taken stringent steps to ensure the availability of quality fertilisers to farmers and to curb the manufacture and sale of fake fertilisers in the country.

In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, the Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Anupriya Patel, informed that the Fertiliser Control Order administered under the Essential Commodities Act strictly prohibits the manufacture or sale of fertilisers that do not meet prescribed standards. State Governments are the designated enforcement authorities responsible for taking action against violations, including cancellation or suspension of licences and penal action under the Essential Commodities Act, which provides for imprisonment ranging from three months to seven years.

The Government of India monitors enforcement action taken by States against cases of black marketing, hoarding, sub-standard fertilisers and diversion on a weekly basis. Since April 2025, a total of 4,30,541 raids have been conducted across the country, resulting in 15,544 show-cause notices, 6,620 licence suspensions or cancellations, and 794 FIRs being registered against defaulters, the minister explained.

Further, as per the information received from the State Governments, most States have reported that no factories and companies have been involved in the manufacturing of fake chemical fertilisers during the last five years.

However, a few States have reported such cases, and action was taken by them. These include Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, which reported 16 cases, Maharashtra registered cases against 19 manufacturers involved in fake fertilizers while Rajasthan took action against 42 manufacturers of suspicious fertilisers; and Uttar Pradesh reported 36 cases during the last five years, the minister added.

- IANS