UNICA, the Brazilian sugarcane industry association, has reported that sugarcane processing and ethanol production in the first half of September have exceeded last year’s figures, despite the challenges posed by recent fires. Ethanol sales also saw a modest increase.
In the south-central region of Brazil, mills processed 42.93 million metric tons of sugarcane during the first half of September, reflecting a 2.46% increase compared to the same timeframe last year. Since the start of the current harvest season on April 1, total sugarcane processing has reached 466.26 million metric tons, up from 448.55 million metric tons in the same period last year.
During the first half of September, the region’s mills produced 2.43 billion liters (641.94 million gallons) of ethanol, which is 14.22% higher than 2023-24. This production included 1.6 billion liters of hydrous ethanol, a 26.66% increase from the previous year, and 833.77 million liters of anhydrous ethanol, which saw a decline of 3.9%. Additionally, corn ethanol production accounted for 336.06 million liters, or 14% of the total, marking a 17.78% rise compared to the same period in 2023.
Since the beginning of the current harvest season, total ethanol production has reached 22.95 billion liters, an 8.15% increase. This total includes 14.66 billion liters of hydrous ethanol, up 17.88%, and 8.29 billion liters of anhydrous ethanol, down 5.62%. Corn ethanol production for this period amounted to 3.47 billion liters, an increase of 26.01% compared to last year.
In the first half of September, mills in the south-central region sold 1.32 billion liters of ethanol, a 0.7% increase from the same period last year. Domestic sales comprised 811.22 million liters of hydrous ethanol, up 2.04%, and 475.5 million liters of anhydrous ethanol, which rose by 3.645%.
Since the start of the current harvest season, total ethanol sales have reached 16.21 billion liters, up 16.76%. This includes 10.52 billion liters of hydrous ethanol, reflecting a 32.61% increase, and 5.69 billion liters of anhydrous ethanol, which experienced a decline of 4.37%.
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