Expert panel on sugar decontrol likely to submit report in next 6 months

28 Feb 2012 Evaluate

The expert committee on sugar decontrol constituted by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in January 2012 is hopeful of submitting its report in the next six months. The committee under the chairmanship of Prime Minister's economic advisory panel, C Rangarajan, met for the first time on February 27, and is hopeful of submitting its report in the next six months. He further outlined various issues to proceed further relating to the sugar industry.

The members of the committee include Kaushik Basu, Chief Economic Advisor, Ministry of Finance, secretaries to the Department of Food and Agriculture, Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) Chairman, Ashok Gulati, former Agriculture Secretary, Nand Kumar, and the EAC Secretary, K P Krishnan.

India is the second largest producer and the largest consumer of sugar in the world.  Currently the industry is highly controlled by the government, right from the level of production to distribution. As per regulation, sugar mills are required to sell 10% of their output to the government at below-cost rates for supply to ration shops. Mills supply levy sugar at 60% of the cost of production which results in an annual loss of about Rs 2,500-3,000 crore. In addition, the Food Ministry also allocates the quantity of sugar that can be sold in the open market every month.

Apex sugar industry bodies Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) and National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories (NFCSF) are seeking partial decontrol of the sector, including freedom to sell sugar in the open market and doing away with the levy obligation for the Public Distribution System.

Members of the expert committee are also of the view that the sector be de-regularized to unleash its true potential. Examples of countries like Brazil, where the sugar industry has flourished after being decontrolled, further strengthen this view. Sugar production in India is estimated to touch 26 million tonnes this fiscal as against the annual demand of 22 million tones.

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