Sugar prices | The bitter truth
For the first time in a decade, India is importing sugar as prices spike ahead of the festive season, even as concerns grow over stock miscalculations, ethanol diversion and hoarding
ISSUE DATE: Sep 14, 2026 | UPDATED: Sep 4, 2026 20:05 IST
In the second week of August, Union minister for consumer affairs, food and public distribution Pralhad Joshi sat with officials of the food department to assess India’s sugar stocks. The news was not good. Production in the 2025-26 sugar season (October-September) was expected to be 30.6 million tonnes (MT), 11 per cent below the government’s estimate of 34.3 MT, while retail prices hit Rs 50 a kg.