Sugar (pic by Mahesh G)
“We get our stock from Yeshwantpur and currently sugar is around Rs 70 per kg. The suppliers we buy from say the price rise is due to exports and ethanol blending. Because prices are rising, more people are buying extra quantities and keeping them at home,” said a sugar trader at South End Circle in Bengaluru, at the same time,.
Ethanol blending has also affected availability, they said. Bengaluru: The festive season is set to add sweetness to life, but it is also leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of people as prices of both sugar and jaggery have shot up sharply. With Ganesha Chaturthi and a long festive season ahead, households preparing sweets and traditional delicacies are facing a steep rise in the cost of their essential ingredients. Traders attributed the rise to multiple factors, including crop stress, sugarcane disease, increased festive demand and exports. With festivals approaching, consumers are buying larger quantities, fearing prices could rise further. With festivals coming up, people are buying more.
Ramesh Chandra Lahoti, a sugar trader for 20 years, said consumers were feeling the pinch after sugar prices rose by nearly Rs 20 per kg. The Centre has already restricted sugar exports and has now permitted duty-free imports of 10 lakh tonnes of raw sugar until Oct 31 to augment availability ahead of the festive season.
Demand remains steady even when prices rise,” he said. “Sugar is an essential item and cannot be easily replaced.