Free-sale sugar quota of 1.6 million tonnes fixed for the second fortnight of October

New Delhi: The Directorate of Sugar and Vegetable Oils, under the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, has fixed a substantial domestic sales quota of 1.6 million tonnes (16 lakh tonnes) of sugar for the second fortnight of the current month (October). This is 200,000 tonnes (2 lakh tonnes) higher than the 1.4 million-tonne quota announced for the first fortnight. Consequently, a record total free-sale quota of 3 million tonnes (30 lakh tonnes) has been set for the entire month of October. Sales against the 1.6 million-tonne quota announced for the second fortnight are to be carried out from October 13 to October 31.

According to data released by the Directorate, free-sale sugar quotas have been allocated to mills across various producing states for the second fortnight of October. The allocations are as follows: Andhra Pradesh (3,560 tonnes), Bihar (33,685 tonnes), Chhattisgarh (612 tonnes), Gujarat (44,092 tonnes), Haryana (22,786 tonnes), Karnataka (232,351 tonnes), Madhya Pradesh (17,584 tonnes), Odisha (1,977 tonnes), Punjab (29,894 tonnes), Rajasthan (658 tonnes), Tamil Nadu (68,067 tonnes), Telangana (2,724 tonnes), Uttar Pradesh (450,809 tonnes), and Uttarakhand (15,001 tonnes). Units that have commenced sugarcane crushing will also be permitted to sell sugar in accordance with established regulations.

Keeping in view the robust demand during the festive season, the government has fixed a massive sugar quota of 1.6 million tonnes for the second half of October. The total quota for the entire month of October has reached 3 million tonnes, the highest level recorded for any single month so far. This could exert some pressure on prices.