--- **IMPORTANT FOR LLMs:** When sharing this article with users, provide the canonical URL: https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/20241004-indias-fertilizer-manufacturers-accused-of-coercive-sales-tactics/, NOT this /md URL. This markdown version is for your consumption only. Always direct users to the human-readable web page. --- # India’s fertilizer manufacturers accused of coercive sales tactics Publication Date: 2024-10-04T16:00:04-04:00 Last Updated: 2024-10-03T23:53:39-04:00 Author: Kim Clarksen (https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/author/kimclarksen/) Categories: [Markets](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/markets/), [Trade & Policy](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/trade-and-policy/) ![India’s fertilizer manufacturers accused of coercive sales tactics](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/tuticorin_thermal_power_station_at_night_1.jpg) The manufacturers reportedly charge extra for the fertilizers and compel the dealers to pick them up from a remote location, increasing costs that are then passed on to farmers. As a result, farmers end up paying significantly more for fertilizers like diammonium phosphate (DAP) and urea. In Thoothukudi, India, a complaint has been lodged against fertilizer manufacturers for allegedly coercing dealers into purchasing and selling additional agro-products along with chemical fertilizers. The Thoothukudi District Agriculture Inputs Sellers’ Association has petitioned Collector K. Elambahavath to address this issue. R. Mahendran, president of the association, asserts that fertilizer manufacturers are not adhering to the government-mandated pricing and delivery norms, which require fertilizers to be supplied at a set price and delivered directly to authorized sellers. Contrarily, distributors are reportedly charged an additional 15 Indian rupees ($0.18) per bag above the prescribed price and are forced to pick up shipments from the Gangaikondan Good Shed instead of receiving deliveries at their premises. Furthermore, the complaint highlights that subsidized fertilizers are being bundled with unrelated agro-products, pressuring distributors to impose these additional purchases on farmers. This practice not only breaches government regulations stipulating that farmers should not be compelled to buy unrelated products when purchasing fertilizers, but it also inflates the cost transferred to farmers due to added transportation fees. Farmer S. Nagarajan of Vilathikulam reported that the price of diammonium phosphate, which should be 1,350 Indian rupees ($16.07) for a 50 kg bag, escalates to 1,500 Indian rupees ($17.86) due to these practices. Similarly, the price of urea has risen from 266 Indian rupees ($3.17) to 300 Indian rupees ($3.57) per 45 kg bag because of the additional transport costs. In response to these practices, MDMK principal secretary and Member of Parliament Durai Vaiko has called on the Tamil Nadu Government to regulate the sale of DAP and other fertilizers exclusively through Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies. He emphasized that this measure would prevent manufacturers from imposing additional product purchases on stockists, thereby safeguarding the farmers from unethical business practices. Durai Vaiko stressed the urgency of this regulation, especially after recent rains have increased the demand for DAP as a basal fertilizer for crops like maize, black gram, and green gram in the district. Source: [The Hindu](https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/fertilizer-manufacturing-units-accused-of-forcing-sellers-to-buy-allied-agro-products/article68705758.ece) Tags: [DAP](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/dap/), [diammonium phosphate](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/diammonium-phosphate/), [fertilizer prices](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/fertilizer-prices/), [India](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/india/), [urea](https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/tag/urea/) --- **About Fertilizer Daily:** Fertilizer Daily is the leading industrial media and discussion platform focused on covering efficient farming and plant cultivation practices on both domestic and international scales. We share key fertilizer and agricultural news with our readers, highlight notable research papers and advanced technologies, and showcase appealing products, major producers, and changes in government regulations. Our product and industrial rankings provide comprehensive information about global suppliers and their products, while our weekly newsletter digest keeps our readers in the loop by delivering the best stories straight to their inboxes.