From the Newsroom*
São Paulo – Brazil should harvest 440 million tonnes in the next sugar cane crop. The volume will represent an increase in 5.7% in relation to the previous harvest, which was of 416.2 million tonnes. The information was from the communications advisory at the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply.
Of the total, 219,2 million tonnes will be destined to the production of 27.2 million tonnes of sugar. Another 177.9 million will go to the production of 17 billion litres of alcohol, and the remaining 42.9 million tonnes will be used for cachaça (spirit typical of Brazil), rapadura (a sweet), seeds and animal food.
The information is from the National Food Supply Company (Conab). The Conab also estimates the increase in exports in the sector. Sugar shipments should remain at 17.8 million tonnes (US$ 2.9 billion), against 15.8 million tonnes (US$ 2.6 billion) in 2004. External sales of alcohol, in turn, are estimated in 2.5 billion litres (US$ 500 million), against 2.4 billion litres (US$ 500 million) in the previous period.
*Translated by Silvia Lindsey
