UNICA, the Brazilian sugarcane industry association, has announced sugarcane processing in the south-central region of Brazil was down more than 8 percent during the second half of July due, in part, to problems associated with frost.

Mills in the south-central region processed 46.69 million tons of sugarcane during the second half of July, down 8.16 percent when compared to the same period of last year.

Crush since the beginning of the current harvest season, which began April 1, is at 304.01 million tons, down 7.31 percent when compared to the same period of 2020.

Ethanol production was at 2.28 billion liters (602.31 million gallons) during the second half of July. That volume includes 970 million liters of hydrous ethanol, up 31.01 percent when compared to the same period of last year. Hydrous ethanol production was at 1.31 billion liters, down 21.98 percent. Approximately 127.52 million liters of ethanol production during the two-week period was from corn feedstock.

Mills in the region have produced 14.11 billion liters of ethanol since the beginning of the current harvest season, including 8.83 billion liters of hydrous ethanol and 5.28 billion liters of anhydrous ethanol. Corn ethanol production is at 981.16 million liters.

Ethanol sales in July reached 2.58 billion liters, down 4.5 percent when compared to the same period of last year. Approximately 2.4 billion liters were sold domestically, with 182.34 million liters destined for export.

Domestically, sales of hydrous ethanol were at 1.44 billion liters in July, down 11.68 percent. Sales of anhydrous ethanol reached 960.85 million liters, up 24.93 percent.

Since the beginning of the current harvest, ethanol sales have reached 9.68 billion liters, up 5.94 percent. Of that volume, 9.09 billion liters were sold domestically, up 8.92 percent, and 597.43 million liters were destined for export, down 20.42 percent.