Govt conducts 4.84 lakh raids to curb fertilizer black marketing

The Centre has intensified its crackdown on fertilizer black marketing, hoarding and diversion, conducting 4,84,663 raids across the country in 2025 while ensuring adequate fertilizer availability for farmers, the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers informed Parliament on Tuesday.
According to agency reports,the enforcement drive resulted in 17,392 show-cause notices, the suspension or cancellation of 6,941 licences and the registration of 847 FIRs against violators, the Ministry said.To ensure uninterrupted supplies during cropping seasons, the government said fertilizer requirements are assessed in consultation with states before each season, following which the Department of Fertilizers prepares monthly supply plans. The movement of subsidized fertilizers is monitored through the Integrated Fertilizer Management System (iFMS), while imports and transportation are coordinated with manufacturers, importers and the Ministry of Railways.
The Ministry said fertilizer availability remained comfortable during FY2025-26. Against a requirement of 381.45 lakh tonnes of urea, availability stood at 450.79 lakh tonnes, while 121.72 lakh tonnes of DAP were available against a requirement of 110.42 lakh tonnes. Availability of MOP and NPKS fertilizers also exceeded demand.The Centre said it continues to provide subsidies under the Urea Subsidy Scheme and the Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) Scheme. The maximum retail price of a 45 kg bag of urea remains Rs242, while an additional support of Rs3,500 per metric tonne has been extended to keep DAP prices at Rs1,350 per 50 kg bag during the Kharif 2026 season.
The Ministry also said it has expanded the number of fertilizer grades under the NBS Scheme from 22 in 2021 to 28 and continues freight subsidy on Single Super Phosphate (SSP) to boost domestic production.Besides fertilizer management, the government said it is strengthening pesticide quality monitoring through regular testing under the Monitoring of Pesticide Residues at National Level (MPRNL) programme and by taking legal action against sub-standard products.The information was provided by Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers Anupriya Patel in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.