The Centre has tightened sugar stockholding limits for dealers ahead of the festive season, capping the maximum inventory at 1,000 quintals from October 15 to November 30. The move is aimed at preventing hoarding, ensuring adequate availability of sugar and maintaining a steady supply of the sweetener during the high-demand festive period.
Under the revised rules, sugar dealers will also be allowed to hold stocks for a maximum period of 15 days. The restrictions are part of the government’s efforts to ensure that sugar moves smoothly through the supply chain and that excessive stock accumulation does not affect market availability or prices. 
The new stock limits have been introduced with the beginning of the 2026-27 sugar season on October 1. The Food Ministry said the measures are intended to discourage unnecessary accumulation of sugar stocks and ensure adequate supplies for consumers during the festive season.
However, the revised restrictions will not apply uniformly across all regions. Kolkata and its extended metropolitan areas, as well as Assam, have been provided higher stockholding limits. The government has kept a separate limit for these areas considering their geographical and logistical conditions and the availability of transportation facilities.
The Food Ministry said the higher stock limit for Assam takes into account the region’s transportation constraints and the interests of consumers. The latest order follows a series of measures through which the government has progressively tightened sugar stockholding restrictions to improve supply management.
With sugar demand typically increasing during festivals, the government’s latest decision is focused on maintaining sufficient market supplies while limiting the scope for hoarding and speculative stock accumulation. Dealers will therefore need to manage inventories within the prescribed limits during the period covered by the new restrictions.
