In a decisive late-night operation under the Agricultural Input Quality Control Campaign, Rajasthan’s Agriculture Minister Dr. Kirori Lal Meena personally led a high-stakes raid in Bikaner, unearthing a massive cache of counterfeit agricultural inputs. The minister, acting without prior notice, inspected multiple warehouses in the Bichhwal Industrial Area and Bhura Complex near the grain market, resulting in the seizure of over 468 quintals of substandard biostimulants, alongside large volumes of fertilisers, seeds, and pesticides.

During the inspection, four warehouses were sealed, while others were forcibly opened under ministerial supervision. Many lacked proper licensing, regulatory approvals, or even departmental knowledge of their existence. The most significant haul—48,000 kg of biostimulants packed in over 2,300 buckets—was recovered from a warehouse owned by ‘Godara Agro Agency’, which operated without a valid sale licence or departmental registration.

Pre-emptive action by the department had already resulted in a Friday-night seizure at the same site. Six product samples were sent for quality testing, and initial findings indicate severe deviations from standard formulations.

The Minister ordered local FIRs to be filed and assured that this was not an isolated event. “So far, 22 FIRs have been registered in Kishangarh alone. Eleven government officials have been suspended, and licences of 18 firms have been revoked. Let there be no doubt—those indulging in the manufacture or sale of counterfeit agricultural inputs will face criminal prosecution, and government officials found complicit will be dismissed from service,” Meena stated.

This crackdown comes amid rising concerns over the proliferation of fake agri-inputs across India’s supply chains. With the kharif season underway, the timely action seeks to safeguard farmer livelihoods and uphold the integrity of India’s input ecosystem.