Fertilisers, pesticides cleared only after standard testing: J&K Minister

Responding to a question raised by MLA Hilal Akbar Lone, the minister stated that there is a well-established mechanism for sampling fertilisers batch-wise at Udhampur Rack. These samples are tested at the Quality Control Lab in Jammu, and only consignments meeting the required standards are permitted to enter the Valley.

He further informed the House that a checkpoint at Lower Munda verifies the documents and sources of all consignments before allowing their sale. Additionally, random samples are collected from wholesalers and retailers for further testing. If any sample fails to meet quality standards, legal action is taken against the dealers concerned.

The minister emphasised that a similar testing process is followed for pesticides to ensure that farmers receive only approved products. He highlighted that the Agriculture Production Department has an Enforcement Directorate at the UT level and Law Enforcement Agencies at the district level, both of which remain vigilant against substandard products.

Providing further details, he said that during 2024-25, a total of 3,010 pesticide samples and 1,065 fertiliser samples have been collected for testing.