UNICA, the Brazilian sugarcane industry association, has announced that anhydrous ethanol production was up significantly during the first half of May. Ethanol sales for the period were up more than 10 percent when compared to the prior year.

According to UNICA, 41.07 million tons of sugarcane was processed by mills in the south-central region of Brazil during the first half of May, down 3.01 percent when compared to the same period of 2020. Since the beginning of the current harvest season, which began April 1, total sugarcane processing has reached 86.31 million tons, down 16.24 percent when compared to the same period of the previous harvest season.

Ethanol production for the first half of May was at 1.82 billion liters (480.79 million gallons), down 0.61 percent when compared to the same period of 2020. Of that volume, 1.21 billion liters was hydrous ethanol, down 8.32 percent, while 603 million liters was anhydrous ethanol, up 19.65 percent.

Corn ethanol production for the first half of May was at 106.92 million liters, up from 95.04 million liters produced during the same period of last year. Corn ethanol production since the beginning of the current harvest season has reached 338.36 million liters, up 15.33 percent when compared to the same period of 2020.

Mills in the south-central region of Brazil sold 1.18 billion liters of ethanol during the first half of May, up 10.35 percent when compared to the same period of last year. A total of 3.33 billion liters have been sold since the beginning of the current harvest season, up 15.56 percent when compared to the same period of the previous harvest.

Domestically, sales of hydrous ethanol reached 779.97 million liters for the first half of May, up 5.47 percent. Domestic sales of anhydrous ethanol were up 30.28 percent, reaching 382.47 million liters.