Importers asked to clear ports

India is pushing leading importers to quickly clear stocks of imported sugar from ports to improve domestic supply, and may confiscate consignments that are not moved out, senior government officials said.

Imported sugar amounting to 656,094 tonnes was lying in port warehouses at Kolkata, Tuticorin, Kandla and Visakhapatnam ports as on October 27, the officials said. The highest imported stocks of 427,797 tonnes were lying at Kandla, followed by Tuticorin, 217,296 tonnes; Visakhapatnam, 9,525 tonnes and Kolkata, 1,476 tonnes, officials said.

Sugar dealers can stock up to 200 tonnes at ports, except in Kolkata, where they can stock 1,000 tonnes. There is no restriction on stocks kept at ports by actual users. India has taken a series of steps to ease the domestic sugar shortage after the cane crop contracted for two consecutive years.  -Reuters