Sale of non-subsidised fertilisers banned in UP, industry cries foul

Industry players warn that UP's ban on non-subsidised fertilisers could curb access to high-quality nutrients, potentially hitting yields of sugarcane, paddy and key vegetables across the state

Fertiliser industry players said yields of sugarcane, paddy and critical vegetables such as bananas might get impacted in Uttar Pradesh due to the ban imposed by the state government on the sale of non-subsidised fertilisers from January 1, 2026. The ban has been imposed on 13 major fertiliser companies, prohibiting them from selling any non-subsidised fertilisers that include bio-stimulants, liquid speciality fertilisers, water-soluble fertilisers and other products.

 

The ban has been imposed to prevent tagging of subsidised fertilisers with non-subsidised ones and also to check the proliferation of fake and spurious fertilisers. However, trade and industry players said that instead of cracking down on the sale of spurious and unverified fertilisers, the UP ban will deprive farmers of access to high-quality crop nutrients that are critical for boosting yields.

 

“In eastern UP, we know for sure that use of non-subsidised speciality water-soluble fertilisers has led to an increase in yields of bananas from 15–20 kg per bunch to 25–30 kg,” a senior industry official said.

 

Sources said the total market for subsidised fertilisers in UP is worth around Rs 12,000–15,000 crore and includes products such as urea and DAP, while the market for speciality non-subsidised fertilisers is close to Rs 1,000–1,200 crore.

 

“Nobody is saying that there are no fake fertiliser makers in the country, but to curb them, stopping the sale of all non-subsidised fertilisers by reputed companies is like throwing the wheat with the chaff,” a senior official explained. He said big companies have so many products that they do not need to tag non-subsidised fertilisers with those on which they get subsidies, like a bag of urea or DAP.