Counterfeit agrochemicals—particularly pesticides—now account for an estimated 30–40 per cent of India’s market, quietly eroding crop yields, farmer incomes, soil health, and trust across agricultural value chains. Drawing on insights from ASPA–CRISIL and ASPA–Accenture studies, the article argues that authentication and traceability are no longer optional safeguards but essential infrastructure for a resilient, future-ready farm economy. It highlights how farmer awareness, multi-layered supply-chain discipline, and phygital technologies—combining secure packaging with digital verification—can decisively disrupt counterfeit networks at scale. Authored by Ankit Gupta, President, Authentication Solution Providers’ Association (ASPA), the piece positions agriculture as a national test case for building a broader, technology-driven anti-counterfeiting framework across Indian industry.

Agriculture is the backbone of India’s economy, and agrochemicals remain central to ensuring crop protection, food security, and rural productivity. Yet counterfeiting in agricultural inputs especially pesticides has emerged as one of the most serious threats to the sector. The ASPA–CRISIL report estimates that counterfeit agrochemicals may account for 30-40 per cent of the Indian market, with pesticides being the most counterfeited due to their high consumption volumes. This is not merely an economic challenge; it directly affects crop yields, farmer incomes, soil health, and the long-term resilience of agricultural systems. The latest ASPA–Accenture study further reinforces this urgency by identifying Agro Chemicals as a “critical and resilient” end-user segment for authentication and traceability, noting that counterfeits in this category threaten not only brand reputation but the physical yield of crops and the livelihoods of millions of farmers.

When farmers unknowingly purchase fake or substandard pesticides, the consequences are severe. Such products can reduce yields by three to four per cent and often contain banned, diluted or incorrect formulations that accelerate pest resistance and degrade soil quality. Beyond immediate losses, the use of counterfeit inputs destabilises farmer confidence in brands, distorts markets, and weakens India’s reputation as a reliable agricultural producer. The ASPA–CRISIL Report 2022 also highlights that the threat of falsified products across sectors remains widespread in semi-urban and rural regions, reflecting how deeply the counterfeit ecosystem has penetrated everyday commerce.

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