Sugarcane crushing grows 14,7% in the first half of July

In the first half of July, production units in the Center-South region processed 49,82 million tons, compared to 43,41 million in the 2024/2025 harvest – an increase of 14,77%. In the accumulated total for the 2025/2026 harvest through July 16, crushing reached 256,14 million tons, compared to 283,36 million tons recorded in the same period in the previous cycle – a decrease of 9,61%.

In the first half of July, 257 production units operated in the Center-South region, including 237 sugarcane processing units, ten corn-based ethanol producers, and ten flex-fuel plants. In the same period, in the 24/25 harvest season, 259 production units operated, including 240 sugarcane processing units, nine corn-based ethanol producers, and ten flex-fuel plants.

Regarding the quality of the raw material, the Total Recoverable Sugars (TRS) level recorded in the first half of July reached 133,66 kg of TRS per ton of sugarcane, compared to 143,45 kg per ton in the 2024/2025 harvest – a negative variation of 6,82%. In the accumulated harvest, the indicator marks 124,37 kg of TRS per ton.

For Luciano Rodrigues, Unica's Director of Sector Intelligence, "the rainier weather and adverse conditions for crop development observed since the beginning of the cycle are also negatively impacting sugar concentration in the plant." He highlights that, in the current harvest, the concentration of ATR in sugarcane has already decreased by 4,81%, with the reduction reaching approximately 10 kg per ton of sugarcane in the last two weeks. "These data reinforce a scenario of deteriorating raw material quality, with negative implications for industrial yield in the 2025/2026 harvest," adds the executive.

Sugar and ethanol production

Sugar production in the first fifteen days of July totaled 3,41 million tons. Cumulative production from the start of the harvest through July 16th totaled 15,66 million tons, compared to 17,25 million tons in the previous cycle – a decrease of -9,22%.

In the first half of July, ethanol production by units in the Center-South reached 2,19 billion liters, of which 1,33 billion liters were hydrous ethanol (+1,93%) and 865,66 million liters were anhydrous ethanol (+3,01%). In the current agricultural cycle, biofuel production totaled 11,62 billion liters (-12,02%), of which 7,45 billion were hydrous ethanol (-11,39%) and 4,17 billion were anhydrous ethanol (-13,12%).

Of the total ethanol obtained in the first half of July, 17,55% was manufactured from corn, recording production of 384,93 million liters this year, compared to 312,96 million liters in the same period of the 2024/2025 cycle – increase of 23%. In the accumulated since the beginning of the harvest, corn ethanol production reached 2,56 billion liters – an increase of 22,25% compared to the same period last year.

Ethanol sales

In the first half of July, ethanol sales totaled 1,38 billion liters. Anhydrous ethanol sales in the period totaled 517,99 million liters, a 2,71% increase, while hydrous ethanol sales totaled 858,12 million liters, a 6,15% decrease.

In the domestic market, hydrous ethanol sold by plants in the Center-South region totaled 823,53 million liters. Anhydrous ethanol sales, meanwhile, reached 514,95 million liters, a 7,96% increase.

From the beginning of the harvest until July 16, ethanol sales by units in the Center-South totaled 9,93 billion liters, a decrease of 2,68%. The accumulated volume of hydrous ethanol totaled 6,35 billion liters (-5,31%), while that of anhydrous ethanol reached 3,59 billion liters (+2,35%).

CBios market

Data from B3 as of July 29th indicates the issuance of 24,76 million credits in 2025 by biofuel producers. The amount of CBios available for trading held by obligated parties, non-obligated parties, and issuers totals 29,24 million decarbonization credits.

The sum of CBios available for commercialization and credits already retired to meet the 2025 target represents approximately 83% of the titles needed to fully meet the quantity required by the Program at the end of 2025.