Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Tuesday said that the Centre has approved exports of 15 lakh tonnes of sugar for the 2025-26 sugar season, beginning in October, and said the government will consider the industry’s request to raise the minimum selling price (MSP) of the sweetener.
The MSP of sugar has remained at Rs 31 per kg since February 2019. The Indian Sugar & Bio-Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA), the apex body of the sugar industry, has been urging the government to increase the price, citing a rise in production costs.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event, Joshi said, “In the last 2024-25 season, prices were stable after we allowed exports of 10 lakh tonnes of sugar. We have now approved exports of 15 lakh tonnes for the 2025-26 season.”
He said the ministry would assess the impact of exports on sugar prices and then look into the demand for increasing the minimum selling price, reported PTI.
In the 2024-25 marketing year (October–September), India exported around 8 lakh tonnes of sugar, slightly below the allocated 10 lakh tonnes. A senior food industry official confirmed that the government would review the industry’s demand regarding sugar MSP, as per the news report.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and asked him to revise sugar MSP. He stated that the single most effective measure to resolve this sugarcane price crisis is to immediately revise the sugar MSP from 31 per kg. This will instantly improve mill liquidity, enabling them to pay the farmers’ requested price without requiring State or Central subsidies.
