National Federation Calls For Minimum Sugar Price Hike To Rs 42/Kg

The National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories on Friday urged the government to raise the minimum selling price of sugar to at least Rs 42 per kg to help mills sustain operations amid rising production costs. The minimum selling price has been kept unchanged at Rs 31 per kg since 2019, even as the government has increased the fair and remunerative price paid to cane growers every year.

NFCSF President Harshvardhan Patil, in a statement, said the federation has submitted data to Food Ministry officials, showing a steady increase in sugar production costs, necessitating an alignment of the minimum selling price with sugarcane FRP.

"The sugar industry can be viable if the minimum selling price of sugar is increased to Rs 42 per kg," Patil said, expressing hope the step will be part of the government's 100-day agenda.

The NFCSF and National Cooperative Development Corporation are jointly working on a scheme to provide cane harvesting machines to cooperative mills based on their crushing capacity from the upcoming season starting in October 2024, he said.

The concerns were also discussed recently at a joint meeting with officials of Union Food and Cooperation ministries in Pune, the statement said.