PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
The Rashtriya Kisan Progressive Association (RKPA) has alleged that a dramatic surge in the distribution of counterfeit agricultural inputs across India is threatening food security, farmer livelihoods and national integrity.
Describing the crisis as “unprecedented in scale and dangerously systemic,” RKPA warned that if left unaddressed, the unchecked spread of fake fertilisers, pesticides, seeds and farming equipment could severely impact not only individual farmers but also soil health, rural economies and the nation’s internal security.
The Dharmendra Malik, national spokesman of BKU (non-political), and RKPA president Binod Anand who are driving urgent policy and awareness efforts said that India is grappling with a growing, well-organised network of counterfeiters who are systematically exploiting regulatory gaps, weak enforcement and seasonal input shortages. These syndicates mass-produce fake packaging and flood rural markets with spurious agri-inputs just ahead of the Kharif and Rabi seasons. In a recent case reported by the media on June 25, over one lakh fake fertiliser bags were seized in Hapur, allegedly being routed to 22 districts across western Uttar Pradesh, including Meerut, Ghaziabad, Agra and Muzaffarnagar.
The RKPA, backed by grassroots farmer movements, has issued a detailed charter of demands aimed at tackling this national crisis. They said that a comprehensive audit of all CIBRC approvals from 2015–2025 is urgently needed to flag export risks, shelf companies and dual-use threats. High-risk agrochemical exports to West Asia, Central Africa and sanctioned zones should be frozen until an end-use validation system is in place. CIBRC’s structure must be reformed to include MHA, MoD and MEA, with mandatory security clearance for export registrations.
A National Commission on Chemical Trade and Sovereignty—comprising NIA, RAW, DRDO, NCB, FSSAI, and DEA—should be launched to redesign regulatory frameworks. Further, QR code-based authentication for seeds, fertilisers and pesticides must be enabled with mobile scan access for farmers. Pre-season surprise checks and strict legal action against negligent or complicit distributors and officials are essential to safeguard the system, they added.
