Center-South Brazil cumulative 2020-21 sugar production up 44.2% on year: UNICA

Cumulative sugar production in Center-South Brazil between the start of the 2020-21 season on April 1 and Jan. 16 totaled 38.19 million mt, up by 44.2% on the year, data from trade association UNICA showed Jan. 27.

The amount of sugar produced in CS Brazil in the first half of January was 7,570 mt, a 77.2% jump year on year, with sugar's share of the crush at 32.1% compared with 24.7% a year earlier, according to UNICA.

Sugar's share in the crush over April 1-Jan. 16 was 46.2% compared with 34.5% a year earlier.

Mills in CS Brazil crushed 212,500 mt of sugarcane in H1 January or 66.6% higher than a year earlier, UNICA said.

The cumulative crush up to Jan. 16 totaled 597.59 million mt, a 3.2% increase on the year.

Total recoverable sugar (ATR) in H1 January averaged 116.53 kg/mt, a decrease of 18.2% year on year. The cumulative ATR for the 2020-21 season to Jan. 16 was 145.16 kg/mt, an increase of 4.3%. Sufficient rain during the summer and favorable weather in CS Brazil since April 1 has allowed the cane to develop well and have a high sucrose concentration.

There were three sugarcane mills, five corn mills, and two plants processing raw materials operational at the end of H1 January,

Maximum sugar production has been encouraged by favorable weather, sugar production paying much better than ethanol, and the weaker Brazilian real boosting overseas demand for exports.

Ethanol sales, production

Ethanol sales by CS mills during H1 January totaled 1.25 billion liters or 2.5% less than a year earlier, with 1.21 billion liters going to the domestic market and 41.69 million liters for export. Of the total, hydrous ethanol sales accounted for 851.26 million liters, down 4.6% from the prior year, while anhydrous ethanol sales totaled 397.93 million liters, up 2.1%.

Ethanol sales by CS mills in 2020-21 from April 1 to Jan. 16 totaled 24.56 billion liters, 10.0% lower year on year, with 22.31 billion liters going to the domestic market and 2.25 billion liters for export. The fall in domestic demand was driven by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the Brazilian economy.

Cumulative 2020-21 sales of ethanol for non-fuel purposes totaled 1.04 billion liters for H1 January, an increase of 32.2% on the year. The jump in non-fuel ethanol sales was driven by strong demand for hand sanitizer because of the pandemic.