With a focus on strengthening the biofuels chain, the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Carlos Fávaro, met with the National Union of Corn Ethanol (Unem) this Tuesday (7), an opportunity in which the sector presented the projection of a new record harvest for the 2023/2024 cycle.

There are an estimated 6 billion liters of corn ethanol, which represents about 19% of all ethanol consumed in Brazil. Production growth in relation to the current cycle is 36.7%.

"The sector's positive numbers move towards sustainability and the generation of jobs for which we are working", commented the minister. This is because one of the advantages of Brazilian corn ethanol in comparison with the fuel produced in the United States is the characteristics of tropical agriculture that allow the production of food, biofuels and fibers in a system of crop rotation and direct planting, enabling two to three crops in the same year, segregating inputs, sharing operations and optimizing the route and land use.

According to the executive president of Unem, Guilherme Nolasco, second-crop corn ethanol brought income and predictability to rural producers, enabling an increase in planted area and productivity without the need to incorporate new frontier areas for exploration.

In addition, the sector invests in planted forests, using eucalyptus to generate steam and energy in the production of ethanol and cogeneration for the national system, unlike other countries that use a fossil matrix.

For record production, three new industries must operate in production, totaling 21 authorized by the middle of the 2023/2024 cycle.

Among the proposals for strengthening the sector is the development and consolidation of programs such as Renovabio, which aims to improve policies and regulatory aspects of biofuels.