Free sale quota of 2.25 million tons of sugar for March

26-Feb-2026 10:35 AM

New Delhi. The Union Food Ministry is expected to set a quota of 2.25 million tons for domestic sale in March 2026, equal to the February 2026 quota but 50,000 tons less than the March 2025 quota of 2.5 million tons. Previously, free sale quotas of 2.35 million tons were issued in March 2024 and 2.2 million tons in March 2023.

This year, the festival of Holi will be celebrated in the first week of March, and the sugar demand for it will be met by the February quota. Along with Holi, the season of weddings and auspicious festivals will also be postponed for about a month.

This may weaken domestic demand for sugar. However, high temperatures in March will increase the heat. This could sharply increase the demand and consumption of sugar for the production of ice cream and other cold beverages.

In such a situation, the March quota of 22.50 lakh tonnes will not prove to be a burden for the sugar mills and hence, there can be a fair balance between the demand and supply of this sweet commodity, which can lead to an environment of stability with limited fluctuations in prices and sometimes even a boom. The market movement can be favorable for the industry.

The total free sale quota of sugar for the quarter January-March 2026 will reach 67 lakh tonnes, which is less than the quota of 68 lakh tonnes for January-March 2025.