New Delhi: The lockdown imposed by the government to prevent the spread of Coronavirus pandemic has affected sugar sales. Mills are unable to sell the sugar amid lockdown, due to which sugar stocks are piling up in warehouses.
According to the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA), as compared to last year’s sugar sales in the first 5 months of the season, the sugar despatches from sugar mills this year was higher by 10.24 lakh tonnes till Feb, 2020. Due to lockdown, the sugar sales in March and April, 2020, was lower than what was sold last year, by about 10 lakh tonnes, bringing us back to same levels as last year.
The sugar mills have reportedly seen an increase in sugar offtake in the last one week or so of April 2020. Further, it is generally expected that sugar demand will increase as soon as the lockdown is withdrawn, especially because of demand from the traders to refill the pipeline, which is almost dry, and also because of the consumption increase coming up due to summer demand for beverages, ice creams, juices etc.
