Enforcement Agencies Estimate Illegal Trade May Exceed ₹1,000 Crore, Threatening Farmers, Food Safety and India’s Agricultural Economy
Enforcement agencies have uncovered a large, organised network involved in the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit and spurious agrochemicals across Gujarat, posing a serious threat to farmers’ livelihoods, consumer safety, and India’s agricultural economy.
The latest enforcement action was carried out on 30 December in Rajkot, following a pattern of FIRs and raids in 2025, including 20 November in Ahmedabad, 12 October in Rajkot, and 1 September in Rajkot, among others. These actions have brought to light the growing scale and spread of fake agrochemical operations posing as reputed brands.
Despite multiple seizures and ongoing investigations, enforcement agencies estimate that the scale of the illegal agrochemical trade may exceed ₹1,000 crore. Officials believe several operators remain active, functioning through layered networks of agents, distributors, and retailers across India, with a significant portion of transactions conducted in cash to evade regulatory oversight.
Authorities have identified Rajkot as a key epicentre, with Ankleshwar flagged for the illegal circulation of unregulated loose seeds and loose agrochemicals. In several cases, products sold as “bio” alternatives were found to contain chemical traces and lacked mandatory Central Insecticides Board (CIB) registration.
A 2015 FICCI study estimates that 25 per cent prevalence of non-genuine products could reduce crop yields by 4 per cent, resulting in a loss of nearly 10.6 million tonnes of food production annually. This also puts 29 million tonnes of food grains (valued at ~$26 billion) and 3 million tonnes of fruits and vegetables (worth ~$1.4 billion) at stake in export markets, translating into significant revenue losses for farmers, industry and government.
Alarmingly, these counterfeit agrochemicals and illegal seeds are not confined to Gujarat alone. They are being distributed to neighbouring states, including Maharashtra, causing widespread crop damage and eroding the reputation of Gujarat as a key agricultural and industrial state.
Mr. Kuldeepsinh Solanki, CEO at Gujpro Agribusiness Consortium Producer Company Ltd, said, “Spurious agrochemicals are silently destroying Indian agriculture from the ground up. Farmers lose entire crops and seasons of income because counterfeit products are sold as genuine, pushing families into debt and distress. The damage does not end at the farm—unregulated chemicals contaminate food, soil, and water, putting public health at serious risk. This is organised economic sabotage of the agricultural ecosystem and demands immediate, coordinated action from authorities to ensure farmers have access only to genuine, regulated products and are protected from such exploitation.”
The impact of spurious agrochemical products is not confined to any single region or state but represents a national concern. Its ripple effects extend beyond agriculture, leading to food supply disruptions, price volatility, and heightened risks to food safety and public health due to contamination of soil and water.
This is not merely a case of commercial fraud or intellectual property violation. It is a direct assault on farmer welfare, consumer trust, and the integrity of India’s food ecosystem. Stronger enforcement, swift prosecution, and exemplary penalties are critical to dismantling these networks.
Equally important is preventive action. Experts stress the urgent need for a nationwide awareness initiative, led jointly by the Department of Agriculture and the pesticide industry, to educate farmers on identifying genuine products and avoiding counterfeit agrochemicals before further damage is done. Beyond crop losses and farmer distress, spurious products pose a grave risk to consumer health by contaminating food chains and water sources with unregulated chemicals. This is not just an agricultural challenge, but it is a public health emergency that demands coordinated action, strict enforcement, and widespread education to safeguard farmers, consumers, and the integrity of India’s food ecosystem.
