The government today said it will consider lowering import duty on sugar and banning exports of the sweetener if prices spike further from the current level. Briefing the media after the States Food Minister's meeting in New Delhi, Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said, the Centre has taken several steps, including imposition of stock holding limits on sugar traders and withdrawal of sugar output subsidy of four rupees fifty paisa per kilogram to mills in the last few weeks to check the price rise. He said, the price rise in sugar was justified to some extent as millers were selling it below the cost of production. Mr Paswan also said, he has written to Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to keep a close watch on sugar stocks to ensure availability in the domestic market.AIR correspondent reports that retail sugar prices in past two months have crossed 40 rupees per kg due to fall in domestic sugar output in the ongoing 2015-16 season.