File picture of Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Monday (January 6, 2025) said the government will soon take a decision on increasing the minimum support price (MSP) of sugar.

The MSP of sugar remains unchanged at ₹31 per kg, a rate established in February 2019. However, industry bodies have demanded for an increase due to rising production costs and economic pressures faced by sugar mills.

“There is a demand. The department is seized of the matter. We will take a decision whether to increase or not shortly,” Mr. Joshi told reporters on the sidelines of an event in New Delhi.

Indian Sugar and Bio-Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) and National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories (NFCSF) are pushing for an increase in the MSP to ₹39.14 per kg or even ₹42 per kg to better reflect production costs and support the financial health of sugar mills in India.