Government of India extends provisional registration period for biostimulants under fertilizer control order

The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has issued the Fertilizer (Inorganic, Organic, or Mixed) (Control) Second Amendment Order, 2025, introducing a key amendment to the Fertilizer (Control) Order, 1985. This amendment primarily impacts the manufacturing and import of biostimulants for which no specific standards have been prescribed.

According to the notification (S.O. 1236(E)), dated March 17, 2025, any entity engaged in manufacturing or importing such biostimulants as of the date of this order’s publication can continue their operations for a period of three months, provided they submit an application for provisional registration under sub-clause (5) of Clause 20C. This ensures that businesses currently engaged in the biostimulant sector get additional time to comply with regulatory requirements.

Additionally, the amendment extends the timeline for compliance with Form G-3 provisions. The previous deadline of February 22, 2025, has now been extended to June 16, 2025. This extension offers stakeholders more time to align with regulatory expectations.

The revised order takes effect immediately upon its publication in the Official Gazette.

This amendment is expected to benefit manufacturers and importers of biostimulants by allowing them additional time to fulfill registration requirements while ensuring regulatory oversight of these products continues.