Factory and evidence of fake fertilizer production discovered by Dong Nai Police - Photo: Provided by Police
From production to distribution and consumption, every stage is organized sophisticatedly and tightly like a professional underground system.
The dark picture of the underground fertilizer market
In June 2025 alone, a series of fake fertilizer production and consumption cases were dismantled by authorities across the country. From North to South, organized gangs operating on a large scale and with sophisticated methods were exposed.
On June 1, the police of Phu Tho province (formerly Hoa Binh province) raided a large-scale fake fertilizer factory in Lac Thuy district. The scene was a warehouse with nearly 250 tons of fake fertilizer, more than 300 tons of goods without labels, without invoices and documents, and 100 tons of raw materials of unknown origin.
Just over half a month later, on June 17 in An Giang (formerly Kien Giang province), Market Management Team No. 3 continued to discover serious violations at a fertilizer business. Upon inspection, 2 out of 3 product samples did not meet quality standards. The violating shipment of 200 bags of NPK and NP fertilizer, worth 140 million VND, was suspended from circulation.
Notably, the cases are not limited to small-scale establishments. On May 29, Dong Nai Province Police caught An Phuc Khang Import-Export Trading and Service Company Limited decanting and packaging fake fertilizers. The shipment was "disguised" under the label "organic fertilizer from Belgium" to deceive consumers. Authorities seized 292 tons of goods and 260,000 counterfeit packages.
According to the Plant Protection Department (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), the spread of fake fertilizers is partly due to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which has disrupted the global supply chain. Since the end of 2021, fertilizer prices have doubled, forcing many farmers to turn to cheap fertilizers, creating opportunities for dishonest traders to operate.
A study by the Vietnam Fertilizer Association also showed that: "Every year, farmers nationwide lose about 2.5 billion USD - equivalent to 57,000 billion VND - due to using fake or poor quality fertilizers". The consequences are not only economic, but also land degradation, reduced productivity and quality of agricultural products, directly affecting the environment and national brand reputation.
A leader of a large fertilizer company in Ho Chi Minh City once recounted a heartbreaking scene: "I have witnessed farmers in remote areas sitting in the middle of their fields, tears mixed with mud because they lost their entire crop just because they used fake fertilizer. If management is not transparent and drastic, those tears will continue to fall on the fertile dry fields."
Authorities took samples of fertilizer for testing and confirmed that the products produced by Chanh and My were all fake fertilizers - Photo: SY DUC
Eradicate fake fertilizers with technology
While the authorities are trying their best to crack down, from a market perspective, many large enterprises have proactively built up a "defensive barrier" for themselves. Many enterprises said that fake fertilizers not only cause direct damage to farmers, but also seriously affect the reputation and revenue of legitimate production and business units.
One of the first "shields" that businesses build is a product authentication system using electronic stamp technology. Instead of paper stamps that are easily counterfeited, many manufacturers have invested in SMS stamps and QR codes.
With SMS stamps, users simply scratch off the coating to get a code, then text the authentication switchboard. With QR stamps, the process is even simpler: scan the code with a smartphone and all information about the origin, origin, ingredients, and production process will be clearly displayed. Each code is unique, and the system will automatically warn if a duplicate scan is detected.
Not stopping at authenticating each individual product, many businesses are going further by building a comprehensive traceability system, combining QR codes and RFID (radio frequency identification) technology. With this solution, the entire journey of each bag of fertilizer, from input materials, production processes, packaging to distribution, is digitized, stored and easily accessed, as a complete and transparent "electronic record".
In addition to traceability technology, product packaging is also an important "coating" that many businesses invest in to increase anti-counterfeiting capabilities. Not only changing the design, new packaging models are also printed with modern technology, using special materials, integrating many unique identification signs.
For example, Duc Thanh Company has changed the packaging for the Vua Vao Gao foliar fertilizer product to enhance brand recognition and prevent counterfeit products. Similarly, GoldTech International Organic Fertilizer Company Limited has also implemented new packaging for the GOLDTECH G05 product line, helping consumers more easily identify genuine products.
In the fight against fake fertilizers, technology is no longer just a supporting tool, but has become an extended arm to help businesses control quality, protect brands and maintain consumer trust. Pioneering businesses are not only proactively protecting themselves, but also contributing to creating a new standard for the entire industry.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/phan-bon-gia-bam-re-nganh-nong-nghiep-2025072115363971.htm
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