Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan orders nationwide crackdown on spurious farm inputs

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday came down heavily on the sale of fake fertilisers, seeds and pesticides, describing them as a “curse for farmers”. He has also ordered a nationwide crackdown on erring individuals and firms to protect cultivators.

Chairing a high-level review meeting at Krishi Bhavan with senior officials of the Agriculture Ministry and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Chouhan directed officials to conduct raids in coordination with state governments. Factories and shops found guilty of selling spurious inputs must be sealed immediately, he said.

“Hundreds of farmers are suffering in different districts. Yesterday, I visited soybean fields where farmers had applied a pesticide. Instead of protecting their produce, the entire crop was destroyed. I saw their pain myself. We cannot allow this loot to continue,” Chouhan told the officials.

He stressed that agriculture staff must go to the fields, collect samples and ensure swift punitive action. “If we act firmly, it will create fear among fraudsters and provide relief to farmers,” he said.

The minister said he would personally monitor the action being taken in this regard across states.

He also called for extensive awareness drives under the ongoing ‘Vikasit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan’ to educate farmers on how to identify genuine inputs and safeguard their crops. “Our duty is not just to act when something goes wrong, but to prevent it from happening in the first place,” he stated.

In a related directive, the minister also asked Agriculture Department teams to verify the implementation of Central subsidy schemes for poly houses, greenhouses and farm mechanisation. He emphasised that subsidies must reach farmers on time and regular field verification should be conducted to prevent misuse.