Brazil’s center-south 2009-10 sugarcane crush was 246.6 million metric tons as of July 31, the Brazilian Sugarcane Industries Association (UNICA) said Wednesday. Despite the heavy rains that negatively affected the cane harvest, the volume is 15% higher than the same period during the 2008-09 crop year.
But due to excess rains mills were able to crush only 35.9 million tonnes of cane in the second half of July, down 6 percent from the 38.2 million tonnes crushed the same time in 2008, UNICA said in its regular crop report. “As in June, rains in July reduced the time available for mills to crush in the center-south and also the concentration of sucrose in the harvested cane,” it said.
Brazil’s center-south region’s accumulated sugar production is 12.7 million tons, up 19.25% from the year-ago crop, as mills have been ramping up their sugar capacity to maximum levels to take advantage of soaring sugar prices. Total ethanol production was 10.5 billion liters in the period, up 7.55% from the same period a year ago. From April through Aug. 1, mills directed 42.7 percent of the crop to sugar production, compared with 40.1 percent by this time last year.
Filed under: Biofuels, Cellulosic, Enviroment, Ethanol, Food vs. Fuel, RFS, Sugarcane, sugar | Tagged: Biofuels, Ethanol, subsidies, sugar, Sugarcane, Trade Policy, UNICA
