The Indian government has tightened the stock‑holding rules for sugar traders, setting a maximum holding period of 15 days and a storage limit of 1,000 quintals. The new regulations, issued by the Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ministry in a Thursday announcement, will be in force from 15 October to 30 November.
Under the revised rules, traders will not be permitted to keep sugar for more than 15 days from the date of receipt, nor are they allowed to store more than 1,000 quintals of sugar at any location at any time. The order does not apply to the city of Kolkata and its suburbs, or to the state of Assam.
In those exempted areas, the storage limit is set at 2,000 quintals. Kolkata, which sources sugar from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka, supplies the eastern and northeastern parts of the country. Assam’s higher limit reflects geographic constraints, transport arrangements and consumer demand in the northeastern region.
Market data shows that retail prices of sugar have fallen by 15%, while mill‑gate prices have dropped by about 28% in recent weeks. The government has also heightened vigilance against undesirable activities such as jamakhari in the sugar market.
