CCPA orders probe into herbicide sale on key e-commerce sites
Four major e-commerce platforms, Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho and JioMart, have delisted an allegedly unregistered agro-chemical product following notices issued by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), which has since ordered a detailed investigation into the matter.
The platforms informed the regulator that listings of “Cyclosinone Herbicide” had been removed with immediate effect and that seller accounts associated with such listings had been placed under scrutiny, the regulator said in a statement on Saturday. The CCPA, however, said the responses were only a first step and directed that the matter be taken up for comprehensive investigation.
“The CCPA has placed the matter for detailed investigation,” the regulator said.
The notices were originally issued following a complaint by the Crop Care Federation of India (CCFI), forwarded by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, alleging that the herbicide was being actively sold and promoted online despite not featuring in the Schedule to the Insecticides Act, 1968.
The complaint further flagged that product listings failed to disclose the active ingredient and its precise chemical identity,” information considered essential for informed purchasing, particularly by farmers.
On examining the matter, the CCPA found that the listings lacked disclosure of the product’s chemical composition, valid licence numbers and their period of validity, mandatory statutory warnings about the product’s hazardous nature, and details of Principal Authorisation Certificates where applicable.
The authority noted that such omissions had the potential to mislead consumers,” especially farmers and agricultural users who depend heavily on product disclosures for the safe
and effective use of agro-chemicals. The CCPA also invoked Rule 10(E) of the Insecticides (Second Amendment) Rules, 2022, which specifically governs the online sale of insecticides and requires e-commerce platforms to verify seller licences before permitting such listings. Failure to do so, the authority said, amounted to violations of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020.
As part of its notices, the platforms were directed to furnish details, including the date of initial listing, total number of listings since January 2024, complete particulars of associated sellers, and the due diligence mechanisms in place to ensure regulatory compliance.
“Digital convenience cannot come at the cost of consumer protection, statutory non-compliance, or public safety,” the CCPA said, adding that e-commerce platforms bear significant responsibility for ensuring products sold through their marketplaces comply with applicable law.
The authority said it would continue to take stringent measures against misleading advertisements, unfair trade practices, and the online sale of products that may pose risks to consumers,” particularly in sectors touching public health, agriculture, and safety.
