UNICA, the Brazilian sugarcane industry association, has announced that domestic ethanol sales by mills in the south-central region of the country were up nearly 2 percent during the second half of January. The two-week period marks the first time this harvest season that ethanol sales are up when compared to last year.

Mills in the region processed 44,5000 tons of sugarcane during the second half of January. Since the beginning of the current harvest season, which began April 1, 2020, mills in the region have processed 597.63 million tons of sugarcane, up 3.16 percent when compared to the same period of last year.

Ethanol production for the final two week of January was at 120.25 million liters (31.77 million gallons). Approximately 115.69 million liters of that volume were manufactured from corn.

Total ethanol production so far this season has reached 29.54 billion liters, including 19.88 billion liters of hydrous ethanol and 9.66 billion liters of anhydrous ethanol. The production of hydrous ethanol was down 11.49 percent when compared to the same period of the previous harvest.

Corn ethanol production since April 1, 2020, has reached 2.09 billion liters, representing 7.09 percent of total ethanol production for the period.

Mills in the south-central region of Brazil sold 1.36 billion liters of ethanol during the second half of January, up from the same period of the previous harvest. Sales include 1.25 billion liters sold domestically, up 1.64 percent when compared to the same period of last year, and 105.04 million liters destined for export.

Sales for the full month of January reached 2.61 billion liters, including 2.46 billion liters sold domestically and 146.72 million liters destined for export. Domestic sales included 1.65 billion liters of hydrous ethanol and 810.05 million liters of anhydrous ethanol. Sales of anhydrous ethanol were up 10.53 percent when compared to January 2020.

Sales since the beginning of the current harvest period were at 25.92 billion liters, down 9.24 percent when compared to the same period of the previous harvest season. Exports were at 2.36 billion liters, up 43.49 percent, while domestic sales were at 23.56 billion liters, down 12.46 percent. Domestically, sales hydrous ethanol were at 16.16 billion liters, down 16.83 percent.

Sales of ethanol for use in sanitizing and industrial applications were up 14 percent in January, and are up 31.16 percent for the current harvest season reaching 1.09 billion liters.