VINIT WAHI
The Centre has said that there is sufficient availability of sugar in the country. In a statement, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution stated that as of last month, India has a sugar stock of about 108 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT). The Ministry emphasised that it is sufficient to meet domestic demand for remaining months of current Sugar Season (October-September) 2022-23, and also for optimum stock of about 62 LMT at the end of season. During the period, the country is estimated to have production of 330 LMT sugar after diversion of about 43 LMT for ethanol production.
The Ministry assured that domestic consumers will get sugar at a reasonable price throughout the year. It added that despite a record increase in international prices of sugar, the country’s average retail sugar price remains at approximately 43 rupees per kilogram, with less than two per cent annual inflation over the past decade.