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Informist, Tuesday, May 19, 2026

 

By Taniva Singha Roy

 

MUMBAI – Ex-mill prices of sugar in the key markets of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra rose as demand improved at lower rates, traders said. There was firm demand from northern states, they said.

 

Mills in Uttar Pradesh raised prices by INR 20-INR 25 per 100 kg as there was good demand at lower prices, Naresh Gupta, a trader from north India, said. Prices had in the past few days fallen by about INR 50-INR 60 per 100 kg from peak levels, he said. Prices also rose tracking the higher prices in Maharashtra, Gupta said. Pipeline stocks in the resales market were also getting cleared, which is why traders began buying and prices rose, he added.

 

Prices of the sweetener in Maharashtra rose INR 10 per 100 kg as there was firm demand from other states, Mukesh Kuvadia, secretary of the Bombay Sugar Merchants Association, said. Due to high temperatures in some parts of the country, there is good demand for sugar from ice-cream and cold-drink manufacturers, he said. 

 

However, prices may fall in the coming days as market participants expect higher availability due to the ban on sugar exports, Kuvadia added. 

The government has banned exports of raw, white, and refined sugar with immediate effect until Sept. 30, or till further orders, whichever is earlier, according to a notification by the commerce ministry and the Directorate General of Foreign Trade late Wednesday.

 

This marks a reversal of the previously "restricted" export policy, through which the government had approved the export of 1.5 million tonnes of sugar in 2025-26 (Oct-Sept) on Nov. 14, after which it had approved another 500,000 tonnes for export on Feb. 13, bringing the total approved amount of sugar exports to 2 million tonnes. Prior to Nov. 14, sugar exports were prohibited.

 

Following are the highlights of sugar prices in the domestic market:

--Up INR 20-INR 25 at INR 3,990-INR 4,060 per 100 kg in western Uttar Pradesh

--Up INR 20-INR 25 at INR 3,990-INR 4,100 per 100 kg in central Uttar Pradesh

--Up INR 10 at INR 4,052-INR 4,132 per 100 kg in Mumbai

--Up INR 10 at INR 3,925-INR 3,940 per 100 kg in Kolhapur

 

At 1738 IST, the price of sugar on the InterContinental Exchange was up 2% at 15.04 cents per pound, despite expectations of higher global sugar output.  End

 

US$1 = INR 96.53

 

Edited by Rajeev Pai

 

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