UNICA, the Brazilian sugarcane industry association, has announced sugarcane processing and ethanol production were down during the first two weeks of the 2022-’23 harvest season, which began April 1. Ethanol sales, however, were up.

Mills in the south-central region of Brazil processed 5.19 million metric tons of sugarcane during the first half of April, down 66.87 percent when compared to the same period of the previous harvest.

Ethanol production was at 397.53 million liters (105.02 million gallons), down 45.96 percent when compared to the same two-week period of last year. Production included 381.55 million liters of hydrous ethanol and 15.98 million liters of anhydrous ethanol. Corn ethanol production was at 170.32 million liters, up 48.52 percent.

UNICA said 85 production units were operating during the first half of April, down from 149 units that were operational during the same period of last year. An additional 104 units are expected to begin operations during the second half of the month.

Production units in the south-central region sold 1.06 billion liters of ethanol during the first two weeks of the harvest season, up 6.82 percent, including 690.72 million liters of hydrous ethanol, up 3.39 percent, and 364.69 million liters of anhydrous ethanol, up 13.97 percent.

Domestic sales were at 1.03 billion liters, up 5.92 percent when compared to the same period of last year. Domestic sales included 680.37 million liters of hydrous ethanol, up 3.15 percent, and 347.68 million liters of anhydrous ethanol, up 11.78 percent.

Export sales reached 27.36 million liters during the first half of April, including 17.01 million liters of anhydrous ethanol and 10.35 million liters of hydrous ethanol.