Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government has rolled out an aggressive enforcement drive against fertiliser black marketing, clearly signalling that offences harming farmers and agriculture will be dealt with as serious crimes rather than routine violations. In a strong warning to hoarders and illegal traders, the state administration has authorised the use of tough legal provisions, including the National Security Act (NSA), against those found manipulating fertiliser supplies.
Senior officials have underlined that illegal hoarding, forced tagging, overpricing and diversion of fertilisers directly threaten food security and rural livelihoods. As a result, district administrations have been instructed to immediately register FIRs on receiving complaints, instead of issuing notices or warnings. Field-level officers have been given greater authority to take swift action to ensure visible impact on the ground.
To tighten surveillance, the state has intensified surprise inspections of fertiliser outlets, warehouses and distribution points. During these checks, authorities are verifying stock levels, sales registers, pricing displays and adherence to government norms. Accountability has also been fixed on officials responsible for monitoring the supply chain, with disciplinary action promised in cases of negligence, inaction or collusion.
A key step in the crackdown is the implementation of a daily online stock reporting system across all districts. Fertiliser dealers and storage units are now required to upload real-time data on receipts, sales and closing stock. This digital monitoring has helped the administration quickly identify abnormal patterns and address potential shortages before they escalate.
Government data shows that over the past two years, inspections have been carried out at more than 5,000 fertiliser shops across the state. These checks have led to the suspension or cancellation of hundreds of licences and the imposition of penalties where violations were confirmed. Officials have been directed to ensure that enforcement actions lead to real relief for farmers rather than remaining confined to paperwork.
The government has also assured farmers that there is no shortage of fertilisers for the Rabi season 2025–26. Official figures indicate that the availability of urea, DAP and NPK combined is above 130 lakh metric tonnes. Authorities have warned that creating artificial scarcity despite sufficient stock will be treated as a deliberate criminal offence.
