The Centre has allowed sugar mills to sell sugar produced in October during both October and November, over and above regular monthly release quotas, to boost supply during the festive season and help keep prices under control.
New Delhi, October 16 — The government has allowed sugar mills to sell their October 2026 production during both October and November, in addition to their regular monthly sales quota, in a move aimed at increasing availability during the festive season.
In a directive issued to all sugar mills, the Food Ministry said that mills would be permitted to sell the quantity of sugar produced during October in either of the two months.
For example, if a mill produces 1,000 tonnes of sugar in October, it can sell that entire quantity in October or carry it forward for sale in November.
The ministry clarified that this relaxation would be over and above the quantities allocated under the regular monthly release quotas for October and November.
The Centre controls the quantity of sugar that mills can release into the domestic market and currently allocates the sale quota every fortnight.
For the first fortnight of October, the government allocated 13 lakh tonnes of sugar for domestic sale. Another 14 lakh tonnes has been allocated for the second half of the month.
The additional flexibility is expected to increase market supply at a time when demand for sugar typically rises due to festive consumption.
Welcoming the move, Praful Vithalani, Chairman of the All India Sugar Trade Association, said the decision would substantially increase domestic sugar supplies during the ongoing festive season.
He also said several mills had started sugarcane crushing nearly a month earlier than usual, which is expected to bring additional fresh sugar into the market.
Higher arrivals from mills could help ensure comfortable availability across the country and prevent sharp increases in both wholesale and retail prices.
The move also comes at a time when the beginning of the new sugar crushing season has been uneven in some producing states due to farmer protests and delayed operations at several mills.
By allowing October output to be sold flexibly over two months, the government is effectively giving mills more room to release newly produced sugar into the market while ensuring festive-season demand is adequately met.
The decision is expected to provide support to the domestic market by improving supply and reducing the risk of price pressure during a high-consumption period.
