Sweet festive treats cost more as sugar, jaggery prices soar in Karnataka
Sugar and jaggery prices have surged in Karnataka ahead of the festive season, with retail sugar reaching ₹70-72 per kg and jaggery ₹80. Rain deficit and disease may cut sugarcane output by 30%, while the government has allowed duty-free imports to boost supplies.
Bengaluru: The festive season is set to add sweetness to life, but it is also leaving a bitter taste in the mouths of people as prices of both sugar and jaggery have shot up sharply. With Ganesha Chaturthi and a long festive season ahead, households preparing sweets and traditional delicacies are facing a steep rise in the cost of their essential ingredients.
Sugar prices, which were around Rs 45 per kg in the wholesale market last month, climbed sharply before easing to Rs 63 Tuesday following govt intervention. Retail prices, however, remain stubbornly high at Rs 70-72 per kg. Shockingly, jaggery costs higher than sugar in the market, with retail prices touching Rs 80 per kg.
Traders attributed the rise to multiple factors, including crop stress, sugarcane disease, increased festive demand and exports. Ethanol blending has also affected availability, they said. With festivals approaching, consumers are buying larger quantities, fearing prices could rise further.
“We get our stock from Yeshwantpur and currently sugar is around Rs 70 per kg. The suppliers we buy from say the price rise is due to exports and ethanol blending. With festivals coming up, people are buying more. At the same time, because prices are rising, more people are buying extra quantities and keeping them at home,” said a sugar trader at South End Circle in Bengaluru.
Ramesh Chandra Lahoti, a sugar trader for 20 years, said consumers were feeling the pinch after sugar prices rose by nearly Rs 20 per kg. “Sugar is an essential item and cannot be easily replaced. Demand remains steady even when prices rise,” he said.
Jaggery prices have surged at the Mandya APMC, one of Karnataka’s major markets. Tuesday, arrivals stood at 1,805 units, with four varieties trading between Rs 4,600 and Rs 5,780 per quintal.
Cube (achchu) jaggery, which accounted for the bulk of arrivals, fetched a modal price of Rs 5,260 per quintal, compared with Rs 4,450 at the beginning of Aug. Box jaggery commanded the highest modal price at Rs 5,650, while bucket jaggery fetched Rs 5,250. Kurikalachchu jaggery recorded the lowest modal price among the four varieties at Rs 4,900.
Similarly, traders at Mahalingpur APMC in Bagalkot revealed that the price of jaggery has set a record with the hike of Rs 2,700 per quintal over the last four days. “Earlier it was Rs 4,500 per quintal and it rose to Rs 7,200 per quintal Sunday,” a trader explained.
It comes amid concerns over the sugarcane production in the state. The Karnataka State Sugarcane Growers’ Association said disease and rain deficit could reduce production significantly this year.
“Sugarcane crops have been affected by diseases and due to the rain deficit, production has slumped by around 30%. In 2025, the production was around 5.8 crore tonnes, whereas this year it may be only around 5 crore tonnes. There is no connection between ethanol blending and the reduction in sugar production. During Aug, Sept and Oct every year, sugar use increases. Wholesalers are also holding unauthorised stocks,” explained Kuruburu Shanthakumar, president of the association.
The Centre has already restricted sugar exports and has now permitted duty-free imports of 10 lakh tonnes of raw sugar until Oct 31 to augment availability ahead of the festive season.
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Source : The Times Of India
