UNICA, the Brazilian sugarcane industry association, has released data showing that sugarcane processing and ethanol production during the second half of May were roughly flat with last year. Ethanol sales were down slightly.

Production units in the south-central region of Brazil processed 43.69 million metric tons of sugarcane during the final half of May, up 0.04 percent when compared to the same period of last year. Since the beginning of the current harvest season, which began April 1, units in the region have processed 107.13 million metric tons of sugarcane, down 17.88 percent when compared the same period of the previous harvest season. As of June 1, UNICA said 248 sugarcane processing units were operational, compared to 249 units that were operation at the same time last year. An additional three processing units were expected to begin operations during the first half of June.

Units in the south-central region of Brazil produced 2.03 billion liters (536.27 million gallons) of ethanol during the second half of May, up 0.51 percent when compared the same period of 2021. That volume included 1.25 billion liters of hydrous ethanol, up 2.77 percent, and 778.3 billion liters of anhydrous ethanol, down 2.92 percent. Corn ethanol accounted for 156.79 million gallons of production, up 26.2 precent.

Since the beginning of the current harvest, ethanol production has reached 5.17 billion liters, down 12.25 percent when compared to the same period of last year. That volume includes 3.56 billion liters of hydrous ethanol, down 11.91 percent, and 1.61 billion gallons of anhydrous ethanol, down 12.98 percent. Corn ethanol production was at 596.38 million liters, up 26.14 percent.

Production units in the south-central region sold 2.34 billion liters of ethanol in May, down 7.13 percent when compared to May 2021. Domestic sales of hydrous ethanol were at 1.39 billion liters, down 9.18 percent, while domestic sales of anhydrous ethanol were at 847.67 million liters, up 0.01 percent.

Since the beginning of the current harvest season, units in the region have sold 4.57 billion liters of ethanol, down 2.53 percent. Sales included 2.86 billion liters of hydrous ethanol, down 8.38 percent, and 1.7 billion liters of anhydrous ethanol, up 9.18 percent.