Government restricts sugar exports to ensure domestic availability

As the world grapples with record-high inflation due to skyrocketing food prices, India is taking cautionary steps to ensure it has enough stocks for domestic consumption.

After banning wheat exports, the government has now restricted export of sugar to 10 million tonnes this season. Food secretary, Sudhanshu Pandey justified the government's decision.

India is planning to export up to 100 lakh million tonnes of sugar this year compared to almost nil around five years back. That is the statement which has been made by the food ministry even as it defended the government's decision to put a limit on exports of sugar.

The food secretary said that it will be too simplistic to turn the government move as protectionism when there are supply chain considerations which need to be taken into account as far as the availability of sugar stocks is concerned.