Sugar Prices Surge ₹1,000 Per Quintal Before Diwali: Will Government Measures Bring Relief?

Sugar prices are turning bitter ahead of Diwali, with ex-mill rates surging by nearly ₹1,000 per quintal in just 10 days. To curb the rally, the Centre has released a domestic sale quota of 14 lakh tonnes of sugar, allocated an additional 2 lakh tonnes to sugar importers and capped dealer stocks to prevent hoarding and speculation. Meanwhile, sugar mills in Maharashtra have begun crushing early, even as the government sets up a panel led by Professor Ramesh Chand to examine issues related to Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) and Minimum Selling Price (MSP). Will these measures help stabilise sugar prices and ease the pressure on consumers during the festive season? Chetan Bhutani of Business Today reports.