UNICA, the Brazilian sugarcane industry association, has announced ethanol production volumes by mills in the south-central region continued to be low in early September. Production of corn ethanol, however, was up.

Mills in the south-central region processed 44.39 million metric tons of sugarcane during the first half of September, up 12.08 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 459.45 million tons of sugarcane, up 4.56 percent when compared to the same period of last year.

Ethanol production was at 2.29 billion liters (604.95 million gallons) during the first half of September, down 4.65 percent when compared to the same period of 2019. That volume included 745.37 million liters of anhydrous ethanol, up 9.01 percent, and 1.54 billion liters of hydrous ethanol, down 10.07 percent.

Since the beginning of the current harvest, ethanol production has reached 21.26 billion liters, including 14.9 billion liters of hydrous ethanol and 6.36 billion liters of anhydrous ethanol.

Corn ethanol production during the first half of September was at 99.88 million liters. Production since the beginning of the current harvest season was at 1.01 billion liters, a 94.47 percent increase when compared to the same period of last year.

The volume of ethanol traded during the first half of September was 1.33 billion liters, flat with the same period of 2019. Of that total, 155.75 million liters were destined for export. Domestically, sales of hydrous ethanol were at 813.48 million liters, down 13.57 percent when compared to the same period of last year. Sales of anhydrous ethanol reached 367.46 million liters, up 9.09 percent.

Since the beginning of the current harvest, ethanol sales have reached 13.08 billion liters, down 16.29 percent. Of that total, 11.82 billion liters have been sold domestically, down 19.47 percent, while exports were at 1.25 billion liters, up 34.05 percent.