Laws Relating To Regulation Of Fertilizers In Agriculture Sector

Madhav Kumar, National Law University, Nagpur

Swati Mehra, Amity University, Gwalior

Introduction

More than half of the population depends on agriculture for their living, and it has long been a major driver of GDP in India. India is the world’s second-largest agricultural producer, cultivating a wide variety of crops and raising several species1. However, there are a number of challenges that India’s agriculture sector face. These include a lack of water, deteriorating soil, a lack of funding, ineffective markets, and issues with fertiliser control. To boost agricultural productivity and preserve soil fertility, fertilisers are used. The unregulated use of fertilisers, however, has resulted in soil deterioration, pollution, black marketing, hoarding, and fertiliser adulteration. To control the use of fertilisers in agriculture, the Indian government has put in place a number of laws and regulations. This research paper will look at the issues faced in Indian agriculture sector, particularly the government’s efforts to curtail the sale of fertilisers and pesticides in the black market.

According to a report by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, the agriculture sector in India expanded at a rate of 3.5 percent each year between 2014-15 and 2018-19, with a total economic impact of between 17 and 18 percent of GDP. According to the survey, over 80% of the farmers in the country are considered to be small and marginal2.