Sugarcane milling in the North and Northeast grows 2,6% until October

Sugarcane mills in the North and Northeast regions crushed 27 million tons in the 2024-2025 harvest until the end of the second half of October. There was, therefore, an increase of 2,6% compared to the same period last season. Data from the Association of Sugar, Ethanol and Bioenergy Producers (NovaBio), an entity that brings together 35 sugarcane processing plants in 11 Brazilian states, also show that the production of hydrated ethanol and sugar continues to rise.

According to NovaBio CEO Renato Cunha, the production units in the North and Northeast produced 1,43 million tons of sugar up to October 31. “This is a volume 22,2% higher compared to the 1,17 million tons recorded in the same period of the previous agricultural cycle,” explains the executive.

Regarding hydrated ethanol, available at the pumps to fuel flex-fuel vehicles, Cunha highlights the 34,4% growth in production, which reached 734,5 million liters. At the end of October 2023, 546,5 million liters were produced. In the case of anhydrous biofuel, the one mixed with gasoline, there was a drop in production reaching 437,4 million liters against 625,5 million liters in the 2023-2024 cycle.

The NovaBio executive comments that the more widespread demand for hydrated ethanol has been much higher than that for anhydrous ethanol for the mixture, which is still at levels of 27% when it could already be between 27% and 35%, or at least 30%, an addition percentage that has already been tested by the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), the National Energy Policy Council (CNPE) and other bodies.

The sector expects that the 2024-2025 harvest year will be completed with the production of approximately 1,22 billion liters of hydrated ethanol and 1,06 billion liters of anhydrous ethanol. “With this, an increase of up to 2,6% in total ethanol production is expected, which would add more than 2,28 billion liters, with growth of 5,6% for hydrated ethanol and similar numbers to the last harvest for anhydrous ethanol,” highlights Cunha, who also chairs the Sugar and Alcohol Industry Union in the State of Pernambuco (Sindaçúcar-PE).

As of October 31, mills in the North and Northeast produced 1,17 billion liters of ethanol, the same volume recorded in the previous harvest. The physical stock of ethanol, considering anhydrous and hydrated, reached 431,8 million liters, 12,93% higher than the 382,4 million liters stored in the second half of October in the 2023-2024 season.