Sugarcane harvesting and ethanol production in Brazil slowed down in the second half of April due to heavy rainfall, said the Brazilian sugarcane industry association UNICA, reports Ethanol Producer.
Sales of ethanol were also reported lower during the two weeks, it said. The sugar mills in the south-central region of Brazil processed 21 million tons of sugarcane during the second half of April which was down by 12.54% compared to the same period last year.
The mills in the region have processed 34.82 million tons of cane since April 1, up by 18.82% compared to the preceding harvest season. The ethanol production during the first two weeks was 977.91 million litres (258.34 million gallons) down by 11.99% compared to the same period last year.