Centre allows duty-free import of raw sugar to curb surging prices

The Centre has allowed 1 million tonnes of raw sugar to be imported duty-free until October 31 as domestic prices climb ahead of the festive season

In another attempt to contain surging sugar prices, the Centre on Thursday allowed 1 million tonnes of raw sugar to be imported duty-free under a tariff-rate quota (TRQ) until October 31. The government’s notification, however, allows only raw sugar to be imported, which must first be refined before it can reach the market as white sugar.

The last time India allowed the import of raw sugar was during the 2016-17 season.

Also read: India allows duty-free imports of 1 million metric tons of raw sugar

Duty-free raw sugar imports cleared ahead of festive demand

The move comes as supplies tighten ahead of India’s peak sugar-demand period, which runs broadly from August through November, when festivals such as Ganesh Chaturthi, Dussehra and Diwali lift demand from households, sweet shops and food companies. The order comes on the heel of sugar prices surging to new peaks. Sugar prices in key Karnataka markets rose to as much as ₹7,100 per 100kg on Thursday.

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  Pallavi Singhal covers agriculture, food policy and the rural economy from New Delhi. Over the past four years, she has reported extensively on farm policy, food inflation, procurement, agri-markets and rural livelihoods. Before joining Hindustan Times, she worked at Moneycontrol and Informist. A journalism post-graduate, she started as a trainee reporter in 2019 with The Indian Express, Chandigarh. Away from the newsroom, she enjoys travelling and crime fiction—preferably mysteries easier to crack than government policy.Read More

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