Srinagar, Feb 20: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday said it has intensified its crackdown on spurious fertilisers and pesticides, conducting an unprecedented enforcement drive across the Union Territory during the financial year 2024–25. Over 16,000 inspections have been carried out, resulting in 76 prosecutions, as authorities move to protect farmers from substandard and misbranded agricultural inputs.
Replying to a query by MLA Irshad Rasool Kar in the Legislative Assembly, the Minister Incharge for Agriculture said that the regulation and monitoring of fertilizers and pesticides in J&K is governed by the Fertilizer Control Order (FCO), 1985, and the Insecticides Act, 1968, along with their respective rules. Enforcement is managed through the Department’s Law Enforcement and Enforcement Wings, which operate a multi-tiered monitoring system designed to intercept substandard products before they reach the fields.
“At the heart of this mechanism is stringent entry-point sampling. Batch-wise sampling of fertilizers is undertaken at rail rake points in Bari Brahmana, Udhampur, and the newly operational Anantnag facility. Consignments are released only after document verification and laboratory confirmation of quality. The Lower Munda entry point remains operational for inspections and sampling, while Lakhanpur is presently not functional,” the reply reads.
The Minister added that surprise inspections are a key part of the strategy. Special Flying Squads conduct unannounced visits to transit points and distribution hubs to prevent malpractices such as forced bundling, where farmers are compelled to purchase secondary products along with essential fertilizers like DAP and urea.
The government said that market vigilance has also been stepped up through random sampling at wholesale godowns and retail outlets to ensure compliance with prescribed chemical standards.
It said that during 2024–25, a total of 12,171 inspections were conducted in respect of fertilizers and 4,264 inspections for pesticides. From these inspections, 1,425 fertilizer samples and 4,502 pesticide samples were drawn for laboratory analysis, reflecting a robust surveillance network across the UT.
J&K maintains four notified Quality Control Laboratories, two each in Jammu and Kashmir divisions, all of which are operational. The Fertilizer Quality Control Laboratory and Pesticide Testing Laboratory at Talab Tillo, Jammu, are NABL-accredited. “In Kashmir division, the Fertilizer Quality Control Laboratory at Lal Mandi, Srinagar, is NABL-accredited, while the Pesticide Testing Laboratory at Lal Mandi functions as a notified state laboratory. For referee analysis, especially when dealers challenge findings of local labs, samples are sent to the Central Fertilizer Quality Control & Training Institute (CFQCTI), Faridabad, Haryana,” the government reply further states. During the current financial year, 39 fertilizer samples were found non-standard, while 73 pesticide samples were declared misbranded. In total, 76 prosecutions have been initiated. “The government has recovered Rs 1.70 lakh as fine from defaulters, while remaining cases are under process. Action under the Essential Commodities Act includes seizure of stocks and suspension or cancellation of licences of erring dealers.”
The Department has also issued detailed Standard Operating Procedures to regulate and monitor the sale and distribution of fertilizers and pesticides in line with statutory guidelines. The government noted that inspection and quality control infrastructure for operational fertilizers entering the Kashmir Valley has been significantly streamlined, aided by improved rail logistics and enhanced laboratory accreditations.
“With intensified inspections, operational laboratories, and strengthened enforcement at key entry points, the Agriculture Production Department has signaled zero tolerance for the supply of spurious agro-inputs,” the reply said.
For thousands of farmers across Jammu and Kashmir, the crackdown offers renewed assurance that the integrity of the agricultural supply chain is being firmly protected.
