Mumbai sugar prices ease by ₹5-10 a kg, but shop rates still vary widely

Sugar prices have eased by ₹5-10 a kg in Mumbai, but a shopper can still find a ₹15 difference between nearby stores.

On Wednesday, rates in Andheri West ranged from ₹60 to ₹75 per kg within a half-kilometre radius. Shops in Borivli were selling it for ₹65-70, while one store in Khar charged ₹75. That remains well above the usual ₹40-42 per kg range cited by traders.

Mukesh Kuwadia, secretary of the Bombay Sugar Merchants Association, said ex-mill rates had fallen from ₹63-65 to ₹45-47 per kg after government measures. He said retail prices should drop by another ₹5, though kirana stores carrying stock bought at higher rates may take time to revise their shelves.

The change matters ahead of the festive season for households and sweet makers alike. Manish Bajaj of Punjabi Ghasitaram Halwai said rising sugar, milk, ghee, dry-fruit and LPG costs had forced the business to print new menus twice in recent months. At Sheetal Mithaiwala in Kurla, milk-based mithai prices have risen from ₹660 to ₹680.

The next sugar season is scheduled to begin on October 15.