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Informist, Tuesday, Apr. 7, 2026

--ISMA official:Bulk sugar consumption dn in Mar on lower commercial LPG use
--CONTEXT: ISMA Director General Ballani on sidelines of ISMA SugarNXT 2026 
--ISMA official: About 200,000 tn sugar unsold from govt sales quota in Mar 
--ISMA official: See Apr bulk sugar consumption dn if LPG crisis persists 

NEW DELHI - India's commercial consumption of sugar fell in March as many hotels, restaurants, and confectioners faced shortages of liquefied petroleum gas because of the military hostilities in West Asia, Deepak Ballani, director general, Indian Sugar & Bio-energy Manufacturers Association, said. Ballani expects bulk sugar demand to fall in April as well if the LPG shortage persists.

The Centre had given sugar mills a sales quota of 2.25 million tonnes in March, of which 200,000 tonnes remained unsold, Ballani said. In March 2025, the sales quota was 2.30 million tonnes. "LPG shortages and cold weather affected sugar demand," Ballani said at the ISMA SugarNXT conclave here Tuesday.

Unseasonal rainfall in March had led to milder temperatures, affecting the demand for sugar from ice-cream and soft-drink manufacturers. Typically, March, April, and May witness higher sugar sales amid festivals and the summer season.

Ballani noted that sugar consumption was largely robust till February but slowed down from March. "About 60,000 tonnes of more sugar was sold till February (Oct-Feb) from that (sold) last year," he said. 

Amid a slowdown in sugar consumption, Ballani now estimates sugar demand in 2025-26 (Oct-Sept) at 27.7 million tonnes, down from 28.3 million tonnes estimated earlier in February.

On sugar exports, Ballani said the industry has shipped about 400,000 tonnes of sugar so far. The government has allowed mills to export 1.58 million tonnes of sugar by the end of September. Of this, Ballani estimates mills will export only 700,000-800,000 tonnes.  End

Reported by Afra Abubacker and Pallavi Singhal

Edited by Rajeev Pai

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