São Paulo – The Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (Unica) has revised its crop estimate for this year downwards. According to data disclosed this Thursday (26th), 573.83 million tonnes should be milled, 3.7% less than projected at the beginning of the crop season, even though the volume is still 5.88% higher than that of the previous crop.
Up until August 15th, 337.88 million tonnes of cane were milled. The decline in productivity was ascribed mainly to this year’s dry spell. According to the Unica, "the lack of water makes it difficult for the plant to accumulate biomass." Besides, the dry spell causes the harvest to take place earlier than usual, thus leading some of the cane to be milled before it completes its maturation period.
Out of the total cane processed, 56.06% should be allocated to the manufacturing of 26.39 billion litres of ethanol, 3.66% less than forecasted at the beginning of the crop, but 11.40% more than in the last crop.
Sugar manufacturing should receive 43.94% of the total harvested this year, which should result in 33.73 million tonnes of the product – 17.75% more than the output in the previous crop, and 1.06% less than the initial estimate.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
