UNICA, the Brazilian sugarcane industry association, has released data showing sugarcane processing by mills in the south-central region of the country was up significantly during the first half of November. Ethanol production was also up for the two-week period.

Mills in the south-central region of Brazil processed 26.34 million metric tons of sugarcane during the first half of November, up 109.32 percent when compared to the same period of last year. Sugarcane processing since the beginning of the current harvest season, which began April 1, has reached 516.79 million metric tons, down 0.1 percent when compared to the same period of the previous harvest season.

Ethanol production reached 1.27 billion liters (335.5 million gallons) during the first half of November, up 72.12 percent when compared to the same period of 2021. Production included 603.8 million liters of hydrous ethanol, up 70.62 percent, and 671.2 million liters of anhydrous ethanol, up 73.29 percent. Corn ethanol accounted for 188.79 million liters, or 14.8 percent, of total production during the two-week period, up 25.31 percent when compared to the same period of last year.

Mills in the south-central region have produced 25.73 billion liters of ethanol since the beginning of the current harvest season, down 0.54 percent when compared to the same period of 2021. Production included 14.98 billion liters of hydrous ethanol, down 3.17 percent, and 10.75 billion liters of anhydrous ethanol, up 3.38 percent. Corn ethanol accounted for 2.66 billion liters of production, up 26.39 percent.

Ethanol sales for the first half of November reached 1.14 billion liters, up 18.17 percent when compared to the same period of last year. Domestic sales include 637.66 million liters of hydrous ethanol, up 22.73 percent, and 468.75 million liters of anhydrous ethanol, up 16.52 percent. Export sales for the two-week period fell to 33.74 million liters, down 21.48 percent. Exports included 3.19 million liters, down 89.66 percent, and 30.55 million liters of anhydrous ethanol, up 151.71 percent.

Total sales since the beginning of the current harvest season reached 18.54 billion liters, up 3.49 percent. That volume includes 10.79 billion liters of hydrous ethanol, down 3.13 percent, and 7.75 billion liters of anhydrous ethanol, up 14.39 percent. Domestic sales included 10.22 billion liters of hydrous ethanol, down 2.52 percent, and 6.78 billion liters of anhydrous ethanol, up 6.02 percent. Export sales reached 1.54 billion liters, up 48.69 percent.