Brazil's Ethanol Output, Sales Up
NEW YORK (DTN) -- Brazil's sugarcane harvest fell 26% to nearly 40 million tons during the first half of September versus the same period a year earlier, the Union of Sugarcane Industry Association, Brazil's largest trade group for sugarcane and ethanol producers, reported on Thursday, Sept. 24.
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The decline in sugarcane processing into sugar and ethanol was caused by heavy rainfall that hampered farm work, including delaying shipment of the harvested crop to mills. Nearly 404 million tons of sugarcane has so far been harvested for this crop year, slightly lower than the 412 million tons a year ago.
The report also showed 1.56 billion liters of ethanol were produced in the first half of September and 18.21 billion liters have so far been harvested since this year's harvest period started, up 0.54% year-over-year.
Ethanol sales surged nearly 20% year-over-year to 1.24 billion liters during the first half of September amid improved domestic demand. Of those sales, 72 million liters were exported while about 1.2 billion liters were sold to domestic consumers.
The United States is among the countries that imports Brazilian ethanol.
George Orwel can be reached at george.orwel@dtn.com
(BM/AG)
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