Sugar prices jump across India amid lower output and speculation
Sugar has suddenly gotten a lot pricier across India, jumping to ₹70 to ₹80 per kilogram in some places (up from around ₹50 earlier).
The average price climbed from ₹48.18 to ₹55.70 per kilogram just over the past month.
Officials say the spike is due to lower production, festive season demand, global shortages, and market speculation.
Sugar output drops to 306L tons
Sugar output dropped this year (from 343 lakh tons to 306 lakh tons) thanks to poor rainfall and damaged crops.
Meanwhile, farmers are calling out traders and producers for hoarding sugar; Raju Shetti says this could mean profits of up to ₹23,000 crore for them while farmers miss out.
To tackle rising prices and calm protests, the government has set stock limits for traders, started inspections, and greenlit duty-free imports, but many still wonder if scarcity or manipulation is really behind the surge.