Ludhiana: Punjab authorities have dismantled an illegal manufacturing operation allegedly producing counterfeit fertilisers under the guise of reputable brands, seizing nearly a metric tonne of raw materials during a raid at Jagraon in this district.Ludhiana’s rural police arrested Manoj Kumar, operator of “Rafa Biotech”, after a joint task force found he was allegedly producing zinc and manganese sulphate without a licence. The crackdown comes as part of a broader effort by the Punjab agriculture department to protect farmers from substandard agricultural inputs during the critical planting season.Raid and RecoveryThe operation, led by joint director of agriculture (plant protection) Narinder Singh Benipal and chief agriculture officer Gurdeep Singh, targeted a facility located near a roadside diner in Jagraon. Upon inspection, officials discovered large quantities of “duplicate” fertilizers, including zinc sulphate (33%) (significant stocks branded as high-quality products), manganese sulphate (various brands ready for distribution), and packaging material (empty packets bearing the labels of well-known, reputed companies).An agriculture department official said: “The accused was found manufacturing these fertilisers in large quantities but failed to produce any valid license for manufacturing or sale.”Legal and Lab ActionPolice seized about 9-10 quintals (900-1,000 kg) of raw materials and finished products. Samples of the recovered chemicals have been sent to a govt laboratory in Ludhiana to determine their actual composition. Following the raid, the agriculture department filed a formal complaint at the Jagraon City police station. Manoj Kumar has been charged under the Fertiliser Control Order, 1985, and the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.The task force involved in the bust included a large contingent of inspectors and agricultural development officers, emphasizing the scale of the suspected fraud. This is not the first time authorities have targeted illicit agricultural manufacturing in the region. In Feb 2025, the agriculture department raided a crop protection factory in the Doraha area. That raid followed intelligence reports suggesting the facility was involved in the manufacturing of counterfeit pesticides and fertilisers.Impact on FarmersCounterfeit fertilizers pose a dual threat to the agricultural sector: they strip farmers of their investment while failing to provide the essential micronutrients required for crop health, leading to diminished yields. Officials warned that using “duplicate” zinc and manganese can result in severe nutrient deficiencies in the soil, potentially ruining an entire season’s harvest.
