Stories
Sweet Relief: Sugar Prices Plummet 15% Ahead of Festive Season!
- •Retail sugar prices have dropped by 15% and ex-mill prices by 28% before the festive season.
- •Government reduced stock holding period for sugar distributors to 15 days and set a stock limit of 1,000 quintals.
- •Kolkata and Assam have a higher stock limit of 2,000 quintals due to difficult supply from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka.
- •New rules aim to prevent hoarding and speculative trading, ensuring smooth supply from factories to consumers.
- •Government is monitoring El Niño conditions and instructed sugar mills to start crushing operations based on agro-climatic conditions.
Key Questions Answered
The government has reduced the stock holding period for sugar distributors to 15 days and set a strict stock limit of 1,000 quintals, effective from October 15, 2026, to November 30, 2026. In Kolkata, its surrounding metropolitan areas, and Assam, the limit is set at 2,000 quintals due to difficult supply conditions.
Retail sugar prices have fallen by 15% from their August peak, while ex-mill prices have dropped by about 28% and remained stable. This decrease helps reduce the financial burden on consumers during the festive season.
Kolkata, its surrounding metropolitan areas, and the state of Assam are exempt from the standard 1,000-quintal limit, receiving an increased limit of 2,000 quintals. This higher threshold was established because these regions experience difficult supply chains as they receive sugar sourced from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka.
