PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss on Tuesday urged the Tamil Nadu government to provide an additional 2 kg of sugar per family card through fair-price shops for six months to cushion consumers from the sharp rise in sugar prices.
In a statement, he said sugar prices in Tamil Nadu had increased by ₹20-25 per kg in recent times and were now selling at ₹75-80 per kg, with traders expecting prices to touch ₹100 during the Deepavali season.
Dr. Anbumani attributed the rise primarily to the decline in sugarcane cultivation and production, noting that the area under sugarcane in Tamil Nadu had fallen from around 1.5 million acres before 2020 to five lakh acres in 2025.
He said inadequate procurement prices and rising cultivation costs had discouraged farmers from growing sugarcane. While the Centre has fixed the procurement price at ₹3,383 per tonne, he demanded that it be increased to at least ₹5,000.
Published – August 25, 2026 11:55 pm IST
