The Santa Cruz plants, in Santa Cruz Cabrália, and Santa Maria, in Medeiros Neto, belonging to the São Luiz group, will invest a total of R $ 192.4 million in expansions, both in industrial units and in the agricultural area for the production of anhydrous and hydrated ethanol. The increase in the production capacity of the products will be 86.5 thousand m³ / year, while in the field, the production of more sugar cane will be 1.1 million tons per year. The protocols of intentions were signed with the State Government, through the Economic Development Secretariat (SDE), on Thursday (20).

"I believe a lot in the agroindustry. The culture of sugar cane has generated and will generate many more jobs in our state. Today we see two consolidated plants expanding their projects in the Far South. We have Agrovale, in the North, which is a national reference in the sugar and alcohol sector. And, soon, we will have an Agroindustrial and Bioenergetic Pole enshrined in the Middle São Francisco of Bahia ", says vice-governor João Leão, secretary of the portfolio.

According to Luiz Carlos Queiroga, director of the Santa Maria plant, investments in the plants have been constant. "Sugarcane culture did not exist in this region, we were pioneers, today it is already rooted in Bahia. We hope to continue expanding and reach the total capacity of the plants. In the case of Medeiros Neto, where Santa Maria is located, the municipality had no industry when we arrived, the people lived on livestock, without any technology, nobody knew what sugar cane was, we who introduced the culture ", he says.

At the Santa Maria plant, in Medeiros Neto, R $ 67 million will be invested in the industrial unit and R $ 64 million in the field. With the expansion, the forecast is that the production of hydrated and anhydrous ethanol will increase from 96 thousand m³ / year to 160 thousand m3 / year, where 225 direct jobs will be maintained and another 60 created. In the field, the production of sugarcane - sugar will jump from 1.2 million tons to 2 million tons per year. The 1.8 thousand direct jobs will be maintained and another 700 will be generated during the harvest period.

In Santa Cruz Cabrália, ethanol production will double at the Santa Cruz plant, from 22,500 m³ / year to 45,000 m³ / year. R $ 15.6 million will be invested in the industrial unit, 45 direct jobs will be created and 131 maintained. In the agricultural area, investments will amount to R $ 45.8 million and the production of sugar cane will also double, leaving the current 300 thousand tons / year to 600 thousand tons / year. In the harvest period, in addition to maintaining 900 direct jobs, another 370 will be created.

Agroindustrial Hub 

The Agroindustrial and Bioenergetic Pole, a bet by the State Government to economically and socially enhance the Middle São Francisco in Bahia, through the Secretariats for Economic Development, Agriculture (Seagri) and Rural Development (SDR), has an initial forecast of private investments in the order of R $ 2.2 billion, in five projects with an annual installed capacity of 10.5 million tons of cane (TCH) and the possibility of generating 21.2 thousand direct and indirect jobs.