UNICA: Record volume of sugarcane processed in late July

August 16, 2023

BY Erin Voegele

UNICA, the Brazilian sugarcane industry association, announced that mills in the south-central region of the country processed a record volume of sugarcane during the second half of July. Ethanol production and ethanol sales were also up. 

Mills in the region processed a record 52.96 million metric tons of sugarcane during the second half of July, up 7.81 percent when compared to the same period of last year. Since the beginning of the current harvest season, which began April 1, mills in the region have processed 311.32 million metric tons of sugarcane, up 9.74 percent. 

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Approximately 2.46 billion liters (649.86 million gallons) of ethanol were produced by mills in the south-central region of Brazil during the second half of July, up 1.35 percent when compared to the same period of 2022. Production included 1.47 billion liters of hydrous ethanol, up 3.83 percent, and 982.44 million liters of anhydrous ethanol, down 2.16 percent. Corn ethanol accounted for 10 percent, or 248.27 million liters, of production, up 29.64 percent. 

Total ethanol production since the beginning of the current harvest season reached 14.4 billion liters, up 5.15 percent, including 8.3 billion liters of hydrous ethanol, down 2.6 percent, and 6.1 billion liters of anhydrous ethanol, up 17.92 percent. Corn ethanol accounted for 1.95 billion liters of production, up 47.17 percent when compared to the same period of last year. 

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Mills in the south-central region sold 2.53 billion liters of ethanol in July, up 1.32 percent when compared to the same month of last year. Sales of anhydrous ethanol reached 1.12 billion liters, up 15.59 percent, while sales of hydrous ethanol fell to 1.31 billion liters, down 9.04 percent. 

Domestic sales of hydrous ethanol in July were at 1.21 billion liters, down 14.2 percent, with exports at 105.79 million liters, up 191 percent. Domestic stales of anhydrous ethanol reached 1.03 billion liters, up 9.91 percent, with exports sales at 184.89 billion liters, up 62.2 percent. 

Ethanol sales since the start of the current harvest season reached 9.59 billion liters, up 0.55 percent when compared to the same period of last year. Sales included 5.26 billion liters of hydrous ethanol, down 8.84 percent, and 4.33 billion sales of anhydrous ethanol, 14.91 percent. 

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