Safras & Mercado sees Brazilian ethanol production rising 8.5%

In Brazil, Safras & Mercado expects ethanol production to increase 8.5% in the main center-south region during the crush set to start in April. It estimates total production at 25.74 billion liters. High land prices are likely to weigh on expansion into new cane areas, while low profitability has led producers to invest even less in renewing existing cane fields.