No shortage of sugar in India, retail prices to come down: industry body ISMA
The ISMA president also categorically said that mills were not involved in creating artificial scarcity and jacking up the ex-mill prices
The Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA), the apex body for the sugar industry, declared on Monday (August 24, 2026) that there is no shortage of sugar in the country. Retail prices are expected to decrease, according to the association's president, Niraj Shirgaokar. Speaking at a press conference, Shirgaokar attributed the recent price hikes to speculative buying by traders and bulk consumers, as well as reduced production due to adverse weather conditions.
Shirgaokar emphasized that mills were not responsible for creating artificial scarcity or inflating ex-mill prices. The association president stated that prices have started to ease following the government's decision to permit duty-free imports of 1 million tonnes of raw sugar. India currently has no sugar shortage, he informed reporters in New Delhi. As of the end of September, the country's closing stock of sugar was projected to be 35 lakh tonnes.
Additionally, Shirgaokar announced that sugar mills would resume operations around October 15 and produce between 10-12 lakh tonnes in the month of October. The demand for October is estimated to be 24-25 lakh tonnes.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
