UNICA, the Brazilian sugarcane industry association, has announced domestic sales of hydrous ethanol remained high in February, up nearly 38 percent when compared to the volume sold during the same period of last year.

According to UNICA, 730,940 tons of sugarcane was crushed by mills in the south-central region of Brazil during the second half of February. Only 15 units processed sugarcane during this period. Sugar production reached only 5,020 tons, while ethanol production reached 74.41 million liters (19.66 million gallons), including 31.42 million liters of corn ethanol.

Since the beginning of the current harvest, units in the south-central region have milled 585.28 million tons of sugarcane, with 53.13 percent of that feedstock used to make ethanol. Ethanol production since the beginning of the season has reached 25.47 billion liters, including 14.97 billion liters of hydrous ethanol and 10.5 billion liters of anhydrous ethanol.

Approximately 1.95 billion liters of ethanol were sold in February, with 1.87 billion liters sold domestically and 76.47 million liters destined for export. Of the volume sold domestically, 720.33 million liters was anhydrous ethanol and 1.15 billion liters was hydrous, which grew 37.9 percent when compared to the volume sold during the same period of last year.

From April 2017 through March 1, sales of ethanol in the south-central region reached 24.18 billion liters, including 1.43 billion liters exported and 22.75 billion liters sold domestically. In the domestic market, sales of hydrous ethanol grew 6.13 percent.