Sao Paulo: Sugarcane crushing in Brazil is down by 91 per cent in early March compared to the same period last year, said industry group Unica.
The mills in the first half of March have crushed only 142,000 tonnes of sugarcane as the companies are waiting for the crop to fully develop and they have enough stocks of sugar and ethanol.
According to the Unica report released on Monday, the mills focused on ethanol production in the first half of March.
Traditionally mills start crushing in March though the official crushing season starts in April. The recent frost and severe drought last year have hampered the development of the crop for the 2022 season and they are waiting for the growth of the crop to start harvesting.
As per Reuters, Antonio de Padua Rodrigues, technical director, Unica said in a note, “Only a handful of mills should start crushing in March. However, despite cane processing intensifying only in April, stock levels at the mills are enough to supply the market until then.”
Brazil, the world’s largest sugar producer and exporter, faced a severe drought in 2021 that led to the slower development of the sugarcane crop in the 2022 season.
