Sugar prices in Pune have fallen by about ₹15 a kg over the past 15 days, bringing retail rates down to ₹55-57 a kg ahead of Ganeshotsav, according to a report by Loksatta. The decline followed the Centre’s decision to import 10 lakh tonnes of sugar from overseas.
Retail prices had risen steadily from July and reached ₹70-75 a kg in August, increasing the burden on consumers. Prices have since eased as the government moved to increase availability during the festival season.
Wholesale sugar traded at ₹5,200-5,300 per quintal in Pune on Monday, the report said. However, stronger demand linked to Ganeshotsav pushed retail prices up by ₹2-3 a kg compared with the previous week, when sugar was selling at about ₹60 a kg.
Wholesale trader Vijay Gujarati said demand had increased for the festival, but the market remained below its August peak. He also said the Centre had announced a 13 lakh-tonne sugar quota for the first 15 days of September and required records to be maintained for the sale of 40% of that allocation.
The remaining quota for September is expected to be announced on September 15. The measures are intended to limit price increases during the festive period, when demand is expected to rise further for Ganeshotsav, Navratri and Diwali.
The report said 10 lakh tonnes of imported sugar would be processed before being released for sale in the domestic market. Sugar mills have also been permitted to begin operations from October 15. The timing of that supply, along with the release of the remaining September quota, will determine how the market responds during the rest of the festival season.
