Balrampur Chini, Shree Renuka Sugars, others: Sugar stocks in focus for 4th straight session; here’s why

Briefing the media on sugar availability and prices, Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra said the government has taken precautionary measures by allowing imports of 10 lakh tonnes of sugar by October 31 and imposing stock-holding limits on dealers as well as bulk consumers such as soft-drink and ice-cream makers.

He asserted that there are ample sugar stocks in the country despite a fall in production to 306 lakh tonnes for the 2025-26 marketing year (October-September), down from earlier estimates of 343 lakh tonnes, mainly because of pest disease in sugarcane crops and waterlogging caused by excess rains. Annual domestic demand is around 280-285 lakh tonnes.

Following the government's recent measures, the secretary said retail prices are expected to fall in the coming days. The all-India average retail price has shot up to ₹56 per kg from ₹48 per kg on July 20.

Meanwhile, the government on Friday rejected claims that diversion of sugar for ethanol production was driving a sharp rise in the price of the sweetener and instead blamed the industry for jacking up prices despite the country having sufficient stock to meet domestic demand.

The Centre has asked States to take action against hoarding and black marketing of the sweetener and also start preparing for the early start of the crushing season by mills by around October 15. It is also considering reducing the stock that dealers can hold.

Some of the sugar shipments to India are likely to reach domestic shores before October 15, but the exact quantity remains difficult to estimate at this stage, a cooperative sugar mills body NFCSF chief said, even as the Centre's crackdown on hoarding has begun to cool prices.

In an official order on August 19, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution announced that the government is imposing up to a 15-day stockholding limit for bulk buyers of sugar in an effort to cool down domestic prices and curb quantity hoarding.

This new limit will be effective from September 1, 2026, and shall remain in effect until the end of the day on November 30, 2026, as per the official announcement.

How much have sugar prices gained in India?

So far in August 2026, the retail sugar prices (M30 grade crystal sugar) in the national capital of Delhi have surged to ₹68 per kilogram (kg) as of the trading session on Friday, August 22.

On a year-to-date (YTD) basis, retail sugar prices in Delhi have rallied 42.22% to touch their present levels in August 2026, in comparison to ₹45 per kilogram at the beginning of the calendar year.

How sugar stocks are on Monday

At 1:50 PM, shares of Balrampur Chini Mills were trading 1.44% lower at ₹718.85 apiece, while Piccadily Agro Industries stock was seen at ₹695.60 per share, falling 2%.

On the other hand, Triveni Engineering & Industries shares were up 1.6% at ₹300 apiece, Shree Renuka Sugars stock gained 5.2% at ₹26.45 apiece, while Dalmia Bharat Sugar was flat at ₹498 per share.

Further, Bajaj Hindusthan Sugar gained 9.34% at ₹25.29 per share, Bannari Amman Sugars stock surged 0.9% to ₹4,056 and Avadh Sugar & Energy shares rallied 2.96% at ₹859.50 apiece on NSE.