UNICA, the Brazilian sugarcane industry association, has released data indicating sugarcane processing by mills in the south-central region of Brazil was up nearly 5 percent during the 2020-’23 harvest season. Ethanol production was also up nearly 5 percent.

Mills in the south-central region of Brazil processed 4.39 million tons of sugarcane during the second half of March, compared to 1.18 million tons processed during the same period of last year. During 2022-’23 harvest season, which began April 1, 2022 and ended March 31, 2023, mills in the region processed 548.28 million tons of sugarcane, up 4.61 percent when compared to the 2021-’22 harvest season.

Ethanol production for the second half of March reached 377.03 million liters (99.6 million gallons), up 76.62 percent when compared to the same period of last year. Production included 219.16 million liters of hydrous ethanol, up 3.08 percent, and 157.88 million liters of anhydrous ethanol, up from only 856,000 liters during the same two-week period of 2022. Corn ethanol production accounted for 53 percent of total ethanol production during the period, reaching 199.04 million liters, up 33.91 percent when compared to the same period of last year.

Total ethanol production for the 2022-’23 harvest season reached 28.91 billion liters, up 4.66 percent. Production included 16.62 billion liters of hydrous ethanol, down 0.57 percent, and 12.29  billion liters of anhydrous ethanol, up 16.68 percent. According to UNICA, 4.43 billion liters of that volume was manufactured from corn, up 27.87 percent when compared to the 2021-’22 harvest season. Corn ethanol accounted for 15 percent of total ethanol production in the south-central region of Brazil during the 2022-’23 harvest season.

Mills in the region sold 2.32 billion liters of ethanol in March, down 10.27 percent when compared to the same month of last year. Domestic sales included 1.15 billion liters of hydrous ethanol, down 21.48 percent, and 924.38 million liters of anhydrous ethanol, up 1.4 percent. Approximately 191.17 million liters of hydrous ethanol were destined for export in March, up 37.22 percent, along with 53.26 million liters of anhydrous ethanol, down 22.43 percent.

Total ethanol sales for the 2022-’23 harvest season reached 29.09 billion liters, including 16.58 billion liters of hydrous ethanol, down 0.6 percent, and 12.51 billion liters of anhydrous ethanol, up 14.92 percent.  Domestic sales included 15.46 billion liters of hydrous ethanol, down 1.36 percent, and 11.03 billion liters of anhydrous ethanol, up 7.44 percent. Volumes destined for export included 1.13 billion liters of hydrous ethanol, up 11.13 percent, and 1.48 billion liters of anhydrous ethanol, up 139.51 percent.