Sugarcane crushing in Brazil’s center-south region dropped nearly 18% in the first half of March, totaling 1.83 million metric tons compared to the same period last year, according to a report by the industry group Unica released Thursday.
During the same period, sugar production in the region decreased by 19%, amounting to 52,000 tons. On the other hand, ethanol production saw a 20% increase, reaching 442 million liters, Unica reported.
In the first two weeks of March, 19 processing units began the 2025/26 harvest early. The official sugarcane harvest in Brazil’s center-south region is scheduled to start in April.
By mid-March, a total of 37 production units were operational in the region. Of these, 22 processed sugarcane, 10 produced ethanol from corn, and five were flexible plants.
Unica’s sector intelligence director, Luciano Rodrigues, noted that at least 19 other production units are expected to resume operations later in the month, although this timeline may be adjusted based on climate conditions and operational factors in different sugarcane regions.
