UNICA, the Brazilian sugarcane industry association, has released data showing that ethanol sales during the first half of January were up slightly when compared to the same period of 2021. Ethanol production was also up for the two-week period.

Mills in the south-central region of Brazil processed 439,830 tons of sugarcane during the first half of January. No sugarcane was processed by mills in the region during the same period of 2022. Total sugarcane processing since the beginning of the current harvest season, which began April 1, 2022, is at 542.09 million metric tons up 3.73 percent when compared to the same period of the previous harvest season.

Ethanol production for the first half of January reached 208.25 million liters (55.01 million gallons), including 96.66 million liters of hydrous ethanol, down 12.87 percent, and 111.59 million liters of anhydrous ethanol, up 224.55 percent. Corn ethanol accounted for 187.01 million liters, or 90 percent, of production during the two-week period, up 30.53 percent when compared to the same period of last year.

Ethanol production since the beginning of the current harvest season reached 27.67 billion liters, up 3.29 percent, including 15.9 billion liters of hydrous ethanol, down 0.31 percent, and 11.78 billion liters of anhydrous ethanol, up 8.59 percent. Corn ethanol accounted for 3.44 billion liters of production, up 26.41 percent when compared to the same period of the previous harvest.

Mills in the south-central region of Brazil sold 903.82 million liters of ethanol during the first half of January, up 1.9 percent when compared to the same period of last year. Sales of hydrous ethanol were at 399.8 million liters, down 1.42 percent, with sales of anhydrous ethanol at 541.19 million liters, up 9.77 percent.

Total sales since the beginning of the harvest season included 11.67 billion liters of hydrous ethanol, up 0.31 percent, and 8.64 billion liters of anhydrous ethanol, up 7.64 percent.