Now Reading: Sugar prices rise Rs 1/kg to Rs 65, festive demand up
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Sugar prices rise Rs 1/kg to Rs 65, festive demand up
Retail sugar prices rose for the second consecutive day on Wednesday, with the all-India average price increasing by over Rs 1 per kg to Rs 65.05, government data showed. The price was Rs 63.97 a day earlier. The maximum retail price touched Rs 76 per kg, while the modal rate was Rs 65 per kg.
The increase comes despite the Centre allowing imports of 10 lakh tonnes of raw sugar and imposing stock limits to curb speculation. Ex-mill prices have fallen 18% to Rs 55 per kg, but the drop has not yet reached retail. Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra said the earlier ex-mill price rise was not driven by fundamentals, citing adequate stocks.
In Pune, wholesale prices fell from Rs 67 to Rs 61 per kg, but consumers said retail at Rs 70 remained high. The Pune Sugar Merchants Association denied hoarding, saying traders cannot afford to block funds ahead of the festive season. Some wholesalers blamed sugar mills for earlier price hikes, a claim the Maharashtra cooperative federation denied.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Both outlets report the same basic data, but their framing diverges on blame. Economictimes.indiatimes.com leads with rising retail prices and quotes the Food Secretary blaming mills for jacking up ex-mill rates, carrying a pro-government accountability tone. Hindustan Times leads with a price drop in Pune and prominently features trade association denials of hoarding and mill blame, giving the industry's side more space. The balanced reading: retail prices remain elevated despite official interventions, and the supply chain dispute, mills versus traders, remains unresolved. The next signal is whether ex-mill prices fall further as imports arrive by the October 31 deadline.
Corrected 1 October 2026: a closing sentence about a tribunal hearing, which no source reported, was removed.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
Sources (2): economictimes.indiatimes.com (neutral report), hindustantimes.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
