Guwahati, July 3 (IANS) Assam Agriculture Minister Pijush Hazarika on Friday issued a stern warning to fertiliser dealers allegedly forcing farmers to purchase additional products along with urea, saying the state government would take strict legal action against those found indulging in such unfair trade practices.

Speaking to reporters, Hazarika said complaints had reached him that some fertiliser dealers in parts of the state were making it mandatory for farmers to buy three or four other products along with urea, even if the farmers neither required nor intended to use those items.

“It has come to my attention that certain fertiliser dealers are compelling farmers to purchase additional, unwanted products along with urea. This practice is wholly unacceptable and will not be tolerated. If this is happening anywhere else, please report it. Strict action will be taken against those responsible,” the minister said.

He asserted that such coercive practices amounted to exploitation of farmers and warned dealers to immediately stop the practice or face serious consequences.

Hazarika said he had received information about such incidents from a particular region and cautioned that if similar practices were continuing elsewhere in Assam, those involved should discontinue them with immediate effect.

“I am warning all fertiliser dealers that from this moment onwards, if anyone is found forcing farmers to purchase products they do not need along with urea, they should be prepared to face legal consequences, including imprisonment. This is an injustice to farmers, and the government will not compromise on this issue,” he said.

The minister reiterated that the government remained committed to safeguarding the interests of the farming community and would not allow anyone to exploit cultivators through unfair business practices.

He also appealed to farmers to report such incidents to the authorities if they are pressured into purchasing unwanted fertilisers or agricultural inputs while buying urea.

Hazarika said the Agriculture Department would closely monitor fertiliser distribution across the state and initiate appropriate action against dealers violating government norms, ensuring that farmers receive essential agricultural inputs without coercion or unnecessary financial burden.

–IANS

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