Last Updated: 2 May 2025

IMPACT^[1]: Mar2024 - Jan2025

141 seed samples failed quality tests, while 81 pesticide samples were misbranded, and 78 fertiliser samples were sub-standard

Legal actions have been initiated against the responsible dealers and firms

FY 2024-25^[1:1]: Bi-weekly reports on Targets set at 6,100 for seed samples, 4,800 for pesticides, and 3,700 for fertilisers

Portal to monitor Seeds sale: Launch soon^[2]

will require registered seed producers to log about every transaction involving paddy seeds, including seed purchases, sales, and quantities

DAP scam^[3]: AAP Govt exposed this scam as 60% samples of DAP FAILED
-- DAP is allocated to the state by the Centre
-- A letter has been written to Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers informing about poor quality
-- 40 samples tested by the department, 24 failed the quality test

¶ 1. Action on Fake Seeds

Punjab Government cancelled the licences of 9 dealers whose 11 samples of seeds showed poor germination^[4]

The samples of 9 seed companies were tested and Laboratory results confirmed that the seeds had poor germination capability

• Acting on complaints of poor quality cotton seeds in villages of Mansa, Action was taken under the Seeds Act, 1966, and the Seeds Control Order, 1983
• Flying Squads: The district administration formed a flying squad at the block level to monitor the illegal sale of PUSA-44 and the sale of spurious seeds^[5]
• The district and block-level officers to conduct regular checks of seed-selling shops and in case of irregularity action against the sellers under the Seed Act^[5:1]

¶ 2. Crackdown on sub-standard fertilizers

Agriculture department has set a target of testing 4700 fertiliser samples during FY 2024-25^[6]

As of July 2024, 1004 samples of fertilisers have been collected under the Quality Control campaign and sent to different labs for testing

Punjab Govt has canceled the licences of 2 fertiliser companies for supplying substandard Diammonium Phosphate (DAP)^[7]

• The two companies are M/s Madhya Bharat Agro Products Limited and M/s Krishna Phoschem Pvt. Ltd whose license is cancelled

¶ 3. Check on Pesticides^[8]

Target of testing 4500 pesticide samples during FY 2024-25

As many as 1009 samples have been collected and 18 found misbranded so far

References:

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1. https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/punjab-khudian-asks-agri-officers-to-submit-biweekly-reports-on-farm-schemes-101737480494657.html ↩︎ ↩︎

2. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/to-safeguard-farmers-punjab-launches-portal-to-check-sale-of-uncertified-paddy-seeds-says-minister-gurmeet-singh-khudian/articleshow/118946088.cms ↩︎

3. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/60-dap-samples-fail-test-cm-asks-minister-to-act-against-guilty/ ↩︎

4. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/poor-germination-of-cotton-seeds-9-dealers-lose-licence/ ↩︎

5. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/patiala/flying-squad-formed-to-check-sale-of-pusa-44-617281 ↩︎ ↩︎

6. https://www.babushahi.com/full-news.php?id=187733 ↩︎

7. https://www.dailypioneer.com/2024/state-editions/punjab-agri-dept-tightens-noose-around-spurious-pesticide-dealers.html ↩︎

8. https://www.babushahi.com/full-news.php?id=188543 ↩︎