Centre caps sugar stockholding at 4,000 quintals amid price surge

Key facts

• The Centre imposed stockholding limits on sugar dealers, restricting them to a maximum of 4,000 quintals or 30 days of retention, effective from August 1 to November 30, 2026.
• Retail sugar prices reached an all-time high of ₹49 per kg on July 28, 2026, up from ₹46.5 per kg a month earlier and ₹46 per kg a year earlier.
• Ex-mill sugar prices in Maharashtra rose to ₹42,000 per tonne in July 2026 from ₹38,000 per tonne in June 2026.
• Cumulative rainfall over India from June 1 to July 28, 2026, was 16% below normal.
• The government prohibited sugar exports until September 30, 2026, to ensure domestic availability.
• The government will conduct physical inspections of sugar mills during the first 14 days of August 2026.
• The Indian Sugar & Bio-energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) estimated closing stocks for the 2025-26 sugar season at 4 to 4.2 million tonnes.
• Ex-mill sugar prices in Maharashtra fell to ₹43.50 per kg from ₹44.50 per kg after the government's intervention.
• India last imported sugar in the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons.