Sugar hits Rs190 per kg in open market

Multan's grain market has witnessed a sharp rise in sugar prices, with rates increasing by Rs 4 per kilogram in recent days.

According to reports, the wholesale price for 100 kg of sugar has surged from Rs 17,300 to Rs 17,700, marking a Rs 400 increase, which has directly affected the per-kg retail rate.

Currently, sugar is being sold at Rs 177 per kg in the grain market, while prices in the open market have climbed even higher, reaching Rs 190 per kg.

A 50-kg sugar sack is now priced at Rs 8,850, burdening retailers and consumers alike.

Speaking to the media, Raja Muddasir, president of the Grain Market Main Gate Association, attributed the price hike primarily to the recent increase in petrol prices.

 “When fuel becomes expensive, it impacts transportation and overall market dynamics, causing essentials like sugar to become costlier,” he explained.

Raja Muddasir further alleged that powerful political figures, who hold stakes in both sugar mills and the petroleum sector, are behind the coordinated price hikes.

“Those in power own the sugar mills, and they control fuel prices too. They raise petrol prices, and then sugar prices follow,” he said.

Calling for immediate government action, Muddasir urged authorities to fix official sugar rates and take strict action against violators.

“Sugar prices must be officially regulated, and violators should be punished severely,” he emphasized.

He also expressed concern over the broader impact of inflation.

“Right now, only sugar has become expensive, but we fear that prices of lentils and rice may also rise soon if the trend continues,” he warned.