Center-South Brazil H2 May sugar output down 12.74% on year: UNICA

Sugar production in Brazil's Center-South region fell 12.74% on the year in the second half of May to 2.31 million mt, data from Brazilian sugarcane industry group UNICA showed June 10.

The figure was above consensus expectations of 2.17 million mt from 10 analysts surveyed by S&P Global Commodity Insights.

Mills in CS Brazil crushed 43.69 million mt of sugarcane in H2 May, up 0.04% year on year, UNICA said. Sugar's share of the crush for H2 May was 43.16%, compared with 46.22% a year earlier.

A total of 248 mills were operating as of June 1, one less than in the same period of 2021. Market participants expected another three mills to begin operation in H1 June.

Total recoverable sugar, or ATR, in H2 May was 128.64 kg/mt, a decrease of 6.58% year on year.

Ethanol production, sales

Ethanol production in CS Brazil was 2.031 billion liters in H2 May, up 0.51% from 2.021 billion liters a year earlier, UNICA said. Hydrous ethanol production accounted for 1.253 billion liters, up 2.77% on the year, while anhydrous ethanol output was 778 million liters, down 2.92% on the year.

Corn ethanol production in H2 May was 156.79 million liters, an increase of 26.44% year on year.

Ethanol sales by mills in CS Brazil during May were 2.34 billion liters, 7.13% lower year on year, with 2.24 billion liters going to the domestic market and 101.1 million liters for export.

The quantity of hydrous ethanol sold to the domestic market during May was 1.40 billion liters, down 9.17% on the year. The quantity of anhydrous ethanol sold to the domestic market was 847.67 million liters, up 0.85% on the year.