Months after clearing them for crops, such as paddy, tomato, potato, cucumber and chilli, the Union Agriculture Ministry has withdrawn approval for the sale of 11 biostimulants derived from animal sources — from chicken feathers and pig tissue to bovine hide and cod scales — due to “religious and dietary restrictions”, The Indian Express has learnt.

Officials told this newspaper that the decision followed complaints made to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan ’s office by “individuals” from the Hindu and Jain communities.

A biostimulant is a substance or microorganism, or a combination of both, that stimulates plant processes to improve nutrient uptake, growth, yield, quality and stress tolerance. Unlike fertilisers, it does not supply nutrients directly, and unlike pest

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