UNICA, the Brazilian sugarcane industry association, has announced sugarcane processing by mills in the south-central region of Brazil was up in late May. Ethanol production and sales were also up during the two-week period.

Mills in the region processed 46.19 million metric tons of sugarcane during the second half of May, up 5.78 percent when compared to the same period of last year. Sugarcane processing since the beginning of the current harvest season, which began April 1, reached 125.38 million metric tons, up 16.76 percent when compared to the same period of last year.

Ethanol production for the second half of May was at 2.08 billion liters (549.48 million gallons), up 2.35 percent. Production included 1.18 billion liters of hydrous ethanol, down 6.38 percent, and 906.99 million liters of anhydrous ethanol, up 16.44 percent. Corn ethanol accounted for 210.64 million liters, or 10 percent of production, up 34.35 percent when compared the same period of 2022.

Mills in the south-central region have produced 5.77 billion liters of ethanol since the start of the harvest season, up 11.12 percent. Production included 3.39 billion liters of hydrous ethanol, down 5.17 percent, and 2.37 billion liters of anhydrous ethanol, up 47.24 percent. Corn ethanol production was at 907.62 million liters, up 52.19 percent.

Mills in the region sold 2.39 billion liters of ethanol in May, up 1.56 percent when compared to the same month of last year. Hydrous ethanol sales were at 1.29 billion liters, down 12.44 percent, with anhydrous ethanol sales at 1.11 billion liters, up 24.69 percent. Domestic sales included 1.25 billion liters of hydrous ethanol, down 11.39 percent, and 1.04 billion liters of anhydrous ethanol, up 24.37 percent.

Total sales since the beginning of the current harvest season are at 4.48 billion liters, down 1.89 percent. Hydrous sales, at 2.5 billion liters, are down 13.04 percent, while anhydrous sales, at 1.98 billion liters, are up 17.09 percent.