Kolkata: Bengal agriculture marketing minister Dilip Ghosh on Tuesday said the retail price of sugar could fall to around Rs 50/kg ahead of the festive season, even as onion prices are expected to soften further.Sugar prices had surged to nearly Rs 75/kg in mid-Aug, hurting households as well as Bengal’s sweet industry. Following a series of interventions, the retail price eased to around Rs 60/kg on Tuesday.“We have held a series of meetings with sugar mills in other states, the Posta Merchants’ Association and wholesalers. We told them categorically that sugar prices must come down. Sweets are an essential part of our festivities and we cannot leave a sour taste in people’s mouths,” Ghosh said. The department will closely monitor wholesale and retail markets, including the landing price of sugar consignments at Dankuni and their onward movement to Posta and other wholesale hubs.“After extensive discussions with sugar mills, traders and market representatives, we are confident that sugar prices can be brought down to an affordable range,” agriculture marketing principal secretary Abhinav Chandra said.Ghosh also said the govt was setting up 10 onion storage facilities in North 24 Parganas, Nadia, Murshidabad and Malda to preserve Bengal’s own Sukh Sagar variety during the lean Aug-Nov period.At present, onions can generally be stored for around 45 days before sprouting begins. The new facilities are expected to extend storage beyond 60 days, creating a buffer against sudden supply shortages and price spikes.Ghosh said he would also visit north Bengal to review supply chains and price movements. “We want people in the hills and north Bengal to get the same price protection and benefits that consumers in Kolkata are getting,” he said.
