The Ministry of National Food Security and Research on Monday announced that the ex-mill price of sugar has been fixed at Rs165 per kilogramme, marking an increase of Rs25 from the fixed price last June.

An official statement issued by the ministry said that the government and sugar industry had reached an agreement on the new ex-mill price of the commodity.

“All provincial governments will ensure the availability of cheap sugar to the public in light of this decision,” the statement read.

Last week, the federal government approved the import of half a million tonnes of sugar in a bid to maintain affordable prices of the commodity.

“The committee approved the import of up to 500,000 metric tonnes of sugar to ensure a stable supply and maintain affordable prices nationwide,” said a statement posted on X.

In March, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said that retail sugar prices should not exceed Rs164 after the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) warned sugar mills against price manipulation.

Dar said that according to news reports, there was a spike in sugar prices to Rs178-179, which was “obviously not tolerable” to the prime minister.