Responding to questions raised by VPP MLA Ardent Basaiawmoit, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Timothy D Shira said fertiliser sales have been restricted to the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) notified by the Government and that the Fertilizer (Control) Order, 1985, is being strictly enforced.
He said weekly inspections are being conducted by fertiliser inspectors, while all retail outlets have been directed to display fertiliser prices and daily stock. Sales are also being routed through Point of Sale (PoS) machines linked to the Integrated Fertilizer Management System (iFMS), allowing transactions to be monitored.
The government, according to Shira, has also introduced the Framework for Fertilizer Sale (FFS) app in Ri-Bhoi and East Khasi Hills districts with effect from July 7, 2026.
The agriculture minister said Meghalaya has 129 fertiliser inspectors tasked with monitoring retailers and detecting violations. He added that fertiliser transactions uploaded to the iFMS portal can be traced, including instances where fertiliser is allegedly sold on the black market.
The issue came into sharper focus after Basaiawmoit told the House that farmers had reported purchasing Single Super Phosphate (SSP) fertiliser at around Rs 900 per bag despite government-controlled pricing.
There was initially a clarification over the prices quoted in the House.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma pointed out that the Rs 266 per bag figure cited by the minister referred to urea, not SSP. He said the controlled rate for SSP was around Rs 800 per bag, making reports of farmers paying Rs 900 a bag a possible indication of black-market activity.
Continuous checking and monitoring are being carried out, Sangma said, adding that action would be taken wherever black marketing is detected.
On the issue of hoarding, Shira said action would be taken according to law against anyone found selling fertiliser above the government-fixed price. He said surprise inspections are also conducted.
Sangma then informed the Assembly that approximately 1,432 surprise checks had been carried out and warned that licences of dealers found violating the rules could be cancelled.
The government has also established grievance mechanisms through the District Agriculture Offices, Dharti Maa Bachao Nigrani Samiti, CM Connect and the Kisan Helpline Centre.
Shira then urged legislators and farmers to use these channels to report cases where fertiliser is sold above the notified price.
Meanwhile, TMC MLA Dr Mizanur Kazi raised concerns over fertiliser availability in Dadenggre subdivision, asking about the number of inspectors and checks conducted in 2026.
To this, Shira said the department would require notice to provide the specific figures. On authorised fertiliser sale points, however, he said there were three retailers in West Garo Hills.
Kazi then questioned whether three retailers were sufficient to meet the requirements of an agriculturally dependent district and also raised concerns over the movement of fertiliser across the Meghalaya-Assam border.
Shira said fertiliser consumption in Garo Hills was relatively low because farmers in much of the region rely on natural farming. He maintained that fertiliser inspectors were responsible for preventing unauthorised movement and black marketing.

Working to phase out chemical fertilisers: CM

Meanwhile, the chief minister also said that the state government is working towards eventually doing away with chemical fertilisers as Meghalaya moves towards becoming the country's largest state in terms of organic coverage.
"We have to remember the larger message is that Meghalaya and the whole world is trying to move towards organic. We are not here to encourage but to discourage use of fertilizers. Bio-fertilizers have been introduced. We are in a transition mode and we hope one day we will not have any chemical fertilizers," Sangma said in the Assembly.
"The correct mechanism followed by the rest of the world is testing the soil. We are now moving towards having more and more certification towards organic and Meghalaya is very well poised today," he added.
The chief minister said certain areas have already been notified where fertiliser use is permitted, while the government is working to expand certification of organic land and farmers.
The discussion also touched upon farm produce prices and concerns over distress sales by farmers.
According to the minister, the establishment of processing facilities had helped raise the price of raw turmeric in areas where farmers previously received as little as Rs 12 per kg, with prices subsequently increasing to Rs 40-Rs 50 per kg in some instances.
He also said the government was considering cold-storage facilities for perishable vegetables. Such infrastructure, he explained, would allow farmers to hold their produce when market prices collapse rather than being forced to sell at distress prices.
When Basaiawmoit cited recent reports of farmers bringing cabbage to Shillong and distributing it free after being offered prices as low as Rs 2 per kg, Shira said he had convened a meeting with Agriculture department officials after becoming aware of the situation and that prices subsequently returned to normal.
Sangma, however, said vegetable prices were influenced by several market factors, including supply and demand. He said a study of the previous 10 years had shown a recurring decline in cabbage prices during July, followed by a rise in August and September.
He attributed the recent crash partly to increased supply from other parts of the Northeast, improved supply chains and conditions that allowed greater movement of vegetables towards major markets such as Guwahati.
The chief minister said the government was continuously monitoring cabbage prices and that the prevailing price was currently around Rs 20-Rs 25 per kg, compared with the exceptionally low prices reported during the earlier period.
Shira further informed the Assembly that Meghalaya currently has 66 approved fertiliser dealers.
He explained that fertiliser is supplied to the state by companies including Progressive Fertilizer Chemical Private Limited, WAFCL Fertilizer Corporation Limited, IFFCO and Indian Potash Limited.