Govt considers industry demands to address surplus sugar stock: Food Secretary

The government is actively working on some of the recommendations made by the Indian sugar industry stakeholders, to primarily prevent excess sugar stock buildup and at the same time ensure timely payments to sugarcane farmers, Secretary, Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD), Sanjeev Chopra said, addressing the Annual General Meeting of the Indian Sugar and Bio-energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA).

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ISMA's demands, among others, include an upward revision of the minimum selling price (MSP) of sugar and higher ethanol procurement prices. Secretary Chopra said the industry's concerns are on the government's priority list and are being actively examined. » We have made certain headway in the various issues that have been pointed out (by the ISMA). I can only assure that these issues are very much on our priority list. We are actively considering all of them and hopefully in the interest of all stakeholders we'll come up with ideas, with solutions and with some kind of an outcome which would ensure that all the stakeholders of the sugar industry are given their due,» he said at the AGM,Chopra noted that sugarcane production prospects remain positive, with the area under sugarcane rising from 54.5 lakh hectares in 2024-26. Estimated sugarcane production i