FCO Ensures Good Quality Fertilizer to Farmers

Minister of State for Planning (IC) and Chemicals & Fertilizers, Shri Rao Inderjit Singh said, “In order to ensure supply of adequate quantity of good quality of fertilizer to the farmers, the Government of India promulgated the Fertilizer (Control) (Organic, Inorganic and Mixed) Order, 1985 (FCO) and Fertilizer (Movement Control) Order, 1973.”

He gave this statement in a written reply to a question on quality and prices of fertilizers, in Lok Sabha today. The Minister added that fertilizers have been declared as Essential Commodity under Essential Commodities Act, 1955.

Minister, Shri Singh said that “The quality of fertilizers is governed under the FCO provisions. The specifications of various fertilizers are specified under FCO and clause 19 of FCO strictly prohibits the sale/manufacture of fertilizer which are not of prescribed standards. No person shall sell any product as fertilizer unless it is specified under the FCO.”

The prime responsibility of the State Governments is to ensure quality fertilizers to farmers as per FCO specifications and are adequately empowered to implement the provisions of FCO. There will be both administrative and penal penalties for any violation of provisions of FCO.

Under FCO, it is mandatory to indicate the MRP on bags of fertilizer and no person shall sell or offer for sale any fertilizer at a price exceeding the maximum price or rate fixed, said the minister.

The Department of Fertilizers under the Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) Scheme examined the reasonableness of MRP of P&K fertilizers fixed by the fertilizer companies. It has been stipulated in the provisions that in cases, where after scrutiny, unreasonableness of MRP is established or where there is no correlation between the cost of production or acquisition, the MRP printed on the bags, the subsidy would be restricted or denied even if the product is otherwise eligible for subsidy under NBS Scheme.

The Department of Fertilizers, on the recommendation of Inter-Ministerial Committee may exclude any grade/grades of fertilizers of a particular company or the fertilizer company itself from the NBS Scheme, in proven case of abuse of subsidy mechanism.

There is no report of instances of unauthorized sale of fertilizer from any State Government. However, State Governments have been adequately empowered to take actions against persons who indulge in illegitimate activities, violating provisions of FCO, 1985, Fertilizer (Movement Control) Order, 1973 and Essential Commodities Act, 1955, said the minister.