Fighting Fake Pesticides: Are India’s Efforts Good Enough?
Smart Epsilon
July 21, 2026
July 21, 2026
Every few months, headlines across the country remind us that counterfeit pesticides continue to infiltrate India’s agricultural supply chain.
These incidents are only the ones that come to light. Behind every successful raid lie several other illegal manufacturing units, warehouses and distribution channels that continue to operate unnoticed.
According to CropLife International, nearly 30% of pesticides sold in India are estimated to be counterfeit or spurious. The consequences are far more serious than the sale of fake consumer goods. Every counterfeit pesticide entering the market directly threatens a farmer’s livelihood, crop productivity and confidence in genuine agricultural products.
Counterfeit pesticides are no longer merely a business concern for agrochemical manufacturers. They have become an issue that affects farmers, food production, public health and ultimately the country’s economic stability.
In starting, a counterfeit pesticide may appear to represent a loss of only a few hundred rupees to the farmer who unknowingly purchases it. But the reality is very different.
When counterfeit pesticides fail to perform as expected, the losses multiply across the agricultural ecosystem.
For farmers, crop failure often means an entire season’s investment is lost. Months of labour, irrigation costs, fertilizers, seeds and borrowing all become difficult to recover when yields decline because the crop protection product itself was counterfeit.
For agrochemical manufacturers, counterfeit products erode years of investment made in research, product development, quality assurance and brand building. Every fake product carrying a legitimate brand name damages customer trust while diverting revenue away from companies that have invested heavily in innovation.
The consequences do not stop there.
Poor-quality or contaminated agrochemicals may damage soil health by reducing productivity for future cultivation. Harmful chemical residues can also find their way into food crops and water sources by creating broader environmental and public health concerns.
Large-scale crop failures have an impact beyond agriculture itself. Reduced farm income affects rural purchasing power, influences demand across sectors such as automobiles, tractors and FMCG, and contributes to increased stress within the rural economy. Lower agricultural output may also influence food prices and national food security.
When viewed in this context, counterfeit pesticides are not simply an issue of protecting manufacturers or farmers.
They represent a challenge that affects the wider economy, environmental sustainability and long-term agricultural resilience.
Recognizing the seriousness of this challenge, the Government of India has introduced important policy measures to strengthen oversight of pesticides.
One such initiative is the Insecticides (First Amendment) Rules, 2025, notified on 3 June 2025.
Under these rules, pesticide manufacturers are required to include a QR code containing important product information such as:
This enables farmers and other stakeholders to access essential product information quickly using a smartphone.
In addition, the proposed Pesticides Management Bill seeks to modernize India’s regulatory framework governing pesticides. Among its important provisions is the establishment of a Central Pesticides Board, which is expected to strengthen oversight, improve enforcement and support action against counterfeit and substandard pesticides.
These initiatives clearly demonstrate the Government’s commitment to improving pesticide regulation and protecting Indian farmers.
They deserve recognition as significant steps towards a safer agricultural ecosystem.
While these policy initiatives strengthen transparency, one important challenge still remains.
The QR code introduced under the current rules primarily provides product information. It helps farmers view manufacturing details, batch information and expiry dates in a digital format.
However, if a counterfeiter copies the packaging along with that QR code, scanning the copied QR code can still display the same product information.
The farmer receives the information but not necessarily confirmation that the product itself is genuine.
In other words, product information and product authentication are not the same. A farmer standing at a retail outlet ultimately wants the answer to one simple question that is, “Is this pesticide genuine or counterfeit?”
Current QR codes help provide information. They do not independently answer that question.
No farmer intentionally buys a counterfeit pesticide.
Almost every purchase is made in good faith, based on the trust placed in the retailer, the packaging and the brand. Unfortunately, counterfeit products are often designed to closely resemble genuine ones by making visual identification extremely difficult.
This is where product authentication becomes important.
Instead of relying only on printed information, farmers need a simple way to verify whether the product they are about to purchase is genuine before making the payment.
The verification process should be quick, practical and accessible without requiring technical knowledge. If authenticity can be confirmed with a simple scan, farmers gain greater confidence in their purchase while counterfeit products become much harder to sell through legitimate retail channels.
Authentication helps shift the decision from guesswork to verification.
KaVACH has been developed to address this specific gap.
KaVACH strengthens them by converting conventional QR codes into Secured / Non-Copiable QR Codes rather than replacing the QR codes already present on pesticide packaging.
Whether the package carries a static QR code or a dynamic QR code, KaVACH enhances its ability to support product authentication.
When the secured QR code is scanned using the KaVACH mobile application, the application analyses whether the QR code is original or copied.
Based on this analysis, the application indicates whether the product is:
This gives farmers a practical way to verify authenticity before using the product, helping them make more informed purchasing decisions.
Adding authentication does more than help identify counterfeit products. It also strengthens confidence across the agricultural ecosystem.
For farmers, it provides reassurance that the pesticide being applied to their fields is genuine.
For manufacturers, it helps protect years of investment made in research, product development and brand building.
For dealers and distributors, it reinforces confidence in the products they sell while supporting a more transparent marketplace.
Most importantly, authentication makes it significantly more difficult for counterfeit products to pass through the market unnoticed.
As product verification becomes easier, the incentive to manufacture and distribute fake pesticides is gradually reduced.
Government regulations play a critical role in strengthening the fight against counterfeit pesticides.
However, protecting farmers cannot depend on regulations alone.
The agrochemical industry also has an important role to play by adopting technologies that help farmers verify products before purchase.
When manufacturers actively invest in authentication, they not only protect their own brands but also demonstrate their commitment to the farming communities that depend on them.
Helping farmers identify genuine products is ultimately an investment in safer agriculture, stronger brands and a healthier economy.
India has already taken meaningful steps towards improving pesticide regulation and product transparency.
The next step is to make authentication equally accessible.
At Smart Epsilon, we believe every farmer should have a simple way to verify that the pesticide they are purchasing is genuine.
Through KaVACH, we help manufacturers strengthen product authentication by converting conventional QR codes into Secured / Non-Copiable QR Codes by enabling farmers to verify authenticity before use.
This is because protecting crops begins with protecting the products that farmers trust.
Protect farmers with confidence. Protect your brand with KaVACH.
