Price of sugar surge by 100 percent ahead of season of festivals

Sugar prices have risen sharply in Mancherial, reaching around Rs 60 per kg ahead of the festive season. Consumers fear further increases, while traders attribute the rise to a supply shortage and widening gap between demand and supply

Mancherial: The price of sugar has gone up at a time when people are going to celebrate many festivals and sacred months of the Hindu calendar year.

Sugar is one of the essential commodities and an integral part of Indian kitchens. It is a key ingredient in sweet recipes and sacred dishes offered to deities. It is now sold at around Rs 60 per kg. The price of sugar has surged by nearly 100 per cent in the past few days, worrying people and foodies.

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Consumers regretted that the price shot up from Rs 35 per kg to Rs 60 per kg within a month, causing a financial burden. They stated that the spike occurred at the time of annual festivals such as Ganesh Chaturthi and Diwali and during the sacred months of Shravanam and Karthika. They feared that the price might skyrocket in the near future.

Foodies said that sweet dishes could become dearer due to inflation soon. They urged both the State and Union governments to take steps to control the price. They recalled that prices of pulses, cooking oil, fruits and other essential commodities had already surged due to the rise in fuel prices caused by the West Asia conflict a few months back.

The traders said that a dip in the supply of the commodity resulted in a significant surge in the price of sugar. They expected that the price of sugar was likely to rise further considering the huge gap between demand and supply of the commodity. They stated that the sugar was being sourced from Maharashtra, one of the largest producers, for around Rs 5,500 per quintal.