NEW DELHI, 16 July 2025: Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan issued a stern warning to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and senior officials of the agriculture ministry over the rampant sale of unregulated and ineffective biostimulants in the country.
During a high-level review meeting held at Krishi Bhawan, Chouhan expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of regulatory oversight and growing farmer grievances around the sale of counterfeit agricultural products. The meeting was attended by senior ICAR scientists and top ministry officials.
Chouhan, who recently concluded a 15-day national outreach tour—the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan—from May 29 to June 12, said he personally received numerous complaints from farmers about fake bio-stimulants, fertilizers, poor-quality seeds, and misleading nano-urea products.
“Questionable biostimulants have been sold in the country for years, with sale permissions extended again and again,” Chouhan said. “If these products don’t benefit farmers, their licenses must be revoked.”
He further criticised regulatory complacency, asking officials, “Whose interests are you protecting—those of the farmers or corporate entities?”
Biostimulants are substances or microbes that stimulate plant growth and productivity by activating natural biological processes. However, their unregulated sale and unclear efficacy have drawn criticism from stakeholders.
Chouhan directed authorities to conduct a comprehensive review of these products’ performance in the field. He added that “Indian farmers must not be deceived” and declared his commitment to rooting out spurious agri-input suppliers.
The Minister also called for strict action against violators, improved scrutiny of product approvals, and a farmer-first approach from the scientific community.
The remarks are being seen as a call for reform in the agri-input ecosystem, where thousands of companies operate under a loosely monitored framework. Senior officials are expected to submit a detailed report to the Ministry in the coming weeks.
