UNICA, the Brazilian sugarcane industry association, has released data showing sugarcane processing continued to trend lower in late February. Corn ethanol production and ethanol sales, however, continued to grow during the two-week period.
Mills in the south-central region of Brazil processed 282,500 metric tons of sugarcane during the second half of February, down from 551,700 metric tons during the same period of 2024.
Total sugarcane processing since the beginning of the current harvest season, which began April 1, 2024, reached 614.69 million metric tons, down 5.01% when compared to the samp period of the previous harvest season.
Mills in the region produced 337.8 million liters (89.24 million gallons) of ethanol during the second half of February. Production included 277.5 million liters of hydrous ethanol, down 8.25% when compared to the same period of last year, and 60.3 million liters of anhydrous ethanol, up 125.03%. Corn ethanol accounted for 318.3 million liters, or 94.24% of total production during the two-week period, up 8.62% when compared to last year.
Total ethanol production since the beginning of the current harvest season reached 33.91 billion liters, up 3.71%. Production included 21.66 billion liters of hydrous ethanol, up 9.79%, and 12.26 billion liters of anhydrous ethanol, down 5.54%. Corn ethanol accounted for 7.46 billion liters of production, up 30.77% when compared to the same period of the previous harvest season.
Mills in the south-central region sold 2.8 billion liters of ethanol in February. Of that volume, 2.7 billion liters were sold domestically, up 1.15% when compared to the same month of 2024.
Domestic sales included 1.71 billion liters of hydrous ethanol, up 0.64%, and 996.61 million liters of anhydrous ethanol, up 2.04%.
Total sales since the beginning of the current harvest season reached 32.62 billion liters, up 9.54%. Sales included 20.97 billion liters of hydrous ethanol, up 15.92%, and 11.65 billion liters of anhydrous ethanol, down 0.32%.
