DISCREPANCY IN FERTILIZER QUALITY TESTING

The Fertilizer Control Order (FCO), 1985 (amended on 13‑12‑2024) mandates a three‑sample protocol for fertilizer quality testing. One sample is retained by the dealer/importer/manufacturer/marketer, the second is sent to the state‑designated laboratory, and the third is held by a state‑appointed authority. If the first analysis reports a non‑standard sample, the dealer must apply for re‑testing within 15 days, after which the state authority forwards the dealer’s sample and its own custody sample to the National Test House (NTH) for a second analysis. The NTH report is final unless the two analyses differ, in which case a third analysis is conducted at the Central Fertiliser Quality Control and Training Institute (CFQCTI), Faridabad, whose report is final. Data for 2025‑26 show 3,906 samples received, of which 2,128 were standard and 1,778 non‑standard; for 2026‑27 (up to June) 578 samples were received, with 321 standard and 257 non‑standard. The FCO also prescribes specific timelines: state officers must send samples to NTH within three working days, NTH must complete analysis and report within fifteen days, and subsequent communications must occur within three working days at each step. The information was provided by Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Ramnath Thakur in a Lok Sabha reply.