In late February, Brazil’s sugarcane processing continued its upward trajectory compared to the previous year, as reported by UNICA. Mills in the south-central region processed 551,730 metric tons of sugarcane during the latter half of February, a significant increase from the 71,790 metric tons processed during the same period last year.
Since the commencement of the current harvest season on April 1, 2023, sugarcane processing has totalled 647.15 million metric tons, marking a notable rise of 19.12% compared to the corresponding period of the previous harvest season.
During the second half of February, mills in the region produced 328.83 million litres of ethanol, a substantial surge of 114% compared to the same period last year. This production comprised 294.65 million litres of hydrous ethanol, witnessing a remarkable increase of 197%, while anhydrous ethanol production stood at 34.18 million litres, registering a decrease of 37.86%. Notably, corn ethanol production constituted 89% of the total production at 292.94 million litres, experiencing a notable surge of 95.53% compared to the same period in 2023.
Cumulative ethanol production since the start of the current harvest season amounted to 32.7 billion litres, reflecting a growth of 15.68%. This included 19.72 billion litres of hydrous ethanol, up 21.44%, and 12.98 billion litres of anhydrous ethanol, up 7.91%. Corn ethanol accounted for 5.7 billion litres of production, indicating a significant increase of 42.82%.
