UNICA, the Brazilian sugarcane industry association, has announced that the 2021-’22 harvest season kicked off in early April with a slower pace of production. Ethanol sales, however, were up nearly 20 percent.

The 2021-’22 harvest season began April 1. During the first two weeks of the season, mills in the south-central region of Brazil processed 15.63 million tons of sugarcane, down 20.57 percent when compared to the same period of last year. Ethanol production was at 730.5 million liters (192.98 million gallons). UNICA attributed the lower volumes of sugarcane processing and ethanol production to the smaller number of production units in operation. Only 147 production units were operating during the first two weeks of April, down from 180 units during the same period of 2020.

Corn ethanol production for the first half of April was at 11.43 million liters, up 29.12 percent when compared to the same period of last year.

Production units in the south-central region of Brazil sold 960.75 million liters of ethanol during the first half of April, up 19.53 percent when compared to the same period of last year. Domestic sales were at 943.48 million liters, up 23.11 percent, while exports were at 17.53 million liters, down 53.75 percent.

Domestically, sales of hydrous ethanol reached 650.5 million liters for the two-week period, up 14.67 percent. Sales of anhydrous ethanol reached 293 million liters, up 47.15 percent. Sales of ethanol for purposes other than transportation fuel fell to 36.54 million liters, down 32.94 percent.