What India needs is to incentivise private procurement, promote crop diversification, and focus on agricultural research
Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Monday said the government will soon take a decision on increasing the minimum support price (MSP) of sugar. The MSP of sugar remains unchanged at Rs 31 per kg, a rate established in February 2019. However, industry bodies have demanded for an increase due to rising production costs and economic pressures faced by sugar mills. "There is a demand. The department is seized of the matter. We will take a decision whether to increase or not shortly," Joshi told reporters on the sidelines of an event here. Indian Sugar and Bio-Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) and National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories (NFCSF) are pushing for an increase in the MSP to Rs 39.14 per kg or even Rs 42 per kg to better reflect production costs and support the financial health of sugar mills in India.
Delays in the crushing season, which is impacting key states like Maharashtra and Karnataka, are contributing to the drop in sugar prices, says ISMA president
Says Centre considering demands of sugar sector
The government is likely to take a decision on increasing the minimum selling price (MSP) of sugar within the next few days, Union Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra said on Saturday. Speaking on the sidelines of a conference organised by All India Sugar Trade Association (AISTA), Chopra said, "We are discussing the MSP (proposal). In the coming days, we will hopefully take a call." MSP of sugar has remained unchanged at Rs 31 per kg since 2019, despite annual hikes in the fair and remunerative price (FRP) paid to sugarcane farmers. Industry bodies, including National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories (NFCSF), have urged the government to raise the MSP to at least Rs 42 per kg to help mills sustain operations amid rising production costs. Chopra noted that sugar production for the 2024-25 season (October-September) looks promising, with the area sown to sugarcane increasing to 58 lakh hectare so far from 57 lakh hectare during the same period last year. For the 2023-24 season,
Lower sugar output from India, the world's biggest producer of the sweetener, will leave hardly any surplus for additional exports during the current 2022/23 season
The matter will be heard next on March 23
GoM recommends hiking MSP to Rs 33 a kg to clear farmers' dues
A task force constituted by Niti Aayog on sugarcane and sugar industry has recommended a one-time increase of Rs 2 per kg
Sugar mills face cash crunch as they have to pay stipulated prices to buy cane from farmers at a time when there is a glut of sugar