In a bid to ensure ample availability of sugar at reasonable prices during the festive season, India has asked sugar traders and recognised dealers associated with mills to provide details of all sales between May and August 2023 by Tuesday, September 12.
The government has sought complete data on the current sugar stocks to ensure sufficient availability at reasonable prices, which will include a collection of data on sugar stocks sold to sugar traders/wholesalers other than sugar mills.
Addressing its letter as "top most priority", the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has invoked Clause 5 of the Sugar (Control) Order 1966 to seek complete data on sugar stocks with traders, dealers, big retail chains, wholesalers and processors.
The letter, also marked to industry associations, has urged them to advise and coordinate with sugar mills for the provision of information. The industry associations include the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA), the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories (NFCSF) and the All India Sugar Traders Association (AISTA).
With the launch of the Global Biofuel Alliance at the G20 summit and a push from the government to increase ethanol blending in fuel, sugar demand is set to grow beyond edible consumption.
This comes at a time when reports last week reports suggested that Switzerland-based trader Avlean expects a
shortage of sugar supply this year due to expected lower production in India, the second-largest sugar producer in the world after Brazil.
India faced a 36 percent rain deficit in August, which was the driest August in a century leading to speculation that the Kharif crop output including sugarcane would be hit this year. The rain deficit in two key sugarcane-growing regions of Maharashtra and Karnataka was around 50 percent below average this year.
The expected lower output also led to expectations that India may impose a ban on sugar exports for the first time in seven years. Lower production and short supply fears led to a spike in sugar prices in the world markets.
