Ethanol sales by producing units in Brazil’s South Central region totaled 2.25 billion liters in December, representing a monthly record for 2014 and an increase of 12.81% versus December 2013.

Of the ethanol volumes sold in December 2014, 2.09 billion liters went toward supplying Brazil’s domestic market, and 158.26 million liters were destined for export.

For the first time during the 2014/2015 season, hydrous ethanol sales within Brazil’s domestic market reached 1.29 billion liters in a single month. That December sales volume was 13.78% higher than the sales volume registered in December 2013.

Antonio de Padua Rodrigues, technical director for the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA), said the record hydrous ethanol sales volume recorded in December was in line with expectations for increased sales at the end of the year. “Owners of flex-fuel vehicles and motorcycles, with the help of the campaign carried out by UNICA, began to see that, in addition to its social and environmental advantages, hydrous ethanol at the moment also is economically advantageous in relation to gasoline in the greater part of the consumer market,” Rodrigues said.

From the start of the 2014/2015 season through end-December, regional producers’ ethanol sales totaled 18.48 billion liters. That volume broke down to approximately 1.15 billion liters for export and 17.36 billion liters to supply Brazil’s domestic market.

Cane crush and production

The South Central cane crush totaled 3.62 million tons in second-half December, with production during the period including 117,890 tons of sugar and 209.35 million liters of ethanol (75.09 million liters of anhydrous ethanol and 134.26 million liters of hydrous ethanol).

From the start of the current season through end-December, the regional cane crush totaled 567.81 million tons, representing a drop of 4.57% compared to the 595.01 million tons processed during the same period in 2013/2014.

Production during the same period totaled 31.94 million tons of sugar and 25.89 billion liters of ethanol -- 10.88 billion liters of anhydrous ethanol and 15.01 billion liters of hydrous ethanol.

Rodrigues noted that 2014/2015 harvest activities in the South Central region have essentially wrapped up, with only 16 mills seen continuing to process cane after January 1. “In line with our projections, it was a smaller harvest in terms of the amount of sugarcane processed and a more ethanol-oriented season compared to 2013/2014,” Rodrigues said.