Brazilian sugarcane harvest jumps 5.5% in June

In Brazil, UNICA is reporting that mills in Brazil’s South Central region processed 40.10 million tons of sugarcane during second-half May, representing a 5.53% increase from the 38.00 million tons crushed during the same period last year.  From the start of the 2015/2016 season through end-May, the crush totaled 114.28 million tons, compared to 117.31 million tons during the same period last season.  By the end of May, 262 producing units were in operation in the South Central region, as was the case at the same time last year. It’s expected that another 20 units will begin operating in the coming weeks.

Preliminary figures from Brazil’s Cane Technology Center (CTC) indicate that the agricultural yield through May reached 82.7 tons of sugarcane per hectare. That’s higher than the 79.2 tons per hectare registered during the same period last year.  Total Recoverable Sugar (TRS) concentrations reached 124.98 kilograms per ton of sugarcane during second-half May, compared to 127.78 kg/ton during the same period last year.  From the start of the current season through end-May, the TRS index was 116.57 kg/ton, or 1.84% lower than 118.76 kg/ton registered during the same period last year.

Continuing the trend of prior periods, regional mills prioritized ethanol production over sugar production during second-half May.  Of the sugarcane processed during the period, 41.17% was directed toward sugar production. From the start of the current season through end-May, the figure was 37.67%, compared to 40.95% during the same period last year.

More on the story from UNICA data.