The spiraling sugar prices in almost all retail markets in India have become a bane for most of the consumers – more so as there appear to be no signs of the prices stabilizing in the near future, and the government has expressed its helplessness in taking hold of the situation.

The retail prices of sugar have been steadily ascending since the 2009 second half; and, at present, the retail cost of packaged sugar has risen to a rather disquieting Rs 46 a kilogram.

This hike in sugar price is largely an upshot of a deficit in production, further fueled by the Christmas-New Year season.

A glimpse at the retail sugar prices in the country’s big cities reveals that there has been an almost Rs 4-6 per kilogram increase in the sugar prices in most places during the last one month, with the situation having only worsened since January 1.

While Delhi witnessed a whopping Rs 6 per kg jump in the retail sugar prices during the last one month; the prices in Bangalore and Ranchi hiked Rs 5 and Rs 4 per kg respectively.

Going by the information forwarded by official sources, the government’s current stocks of sugar are barely enough to cover a month-to-month requirement. As such, the government neither has extra stocks that it can release to contain retail sugar prices, nor is it, thus far, inclined to import sugar.