Sugarcane processing grows in the second half of September, says Unica

Sugarcane milling by mills in Brazil's Center-South grew in the second half of September, but the focus of production continues to shift from sugar to ethanol. According to a survey by the Sugarcane Industry Union (Unica), the units processed 40.8 million tons in the second half of the month, an increase of just over 5% compared to the same period last year. Sugar production totaled 3.1 million tons, an increase of almost 11% compared to the result of 2024. Even with the growth, the production mix aimed at the sweetener fell for the third consecutive period, reaching 51.2% of the total processed — down from 53.5% in the previous fortnight. According to Luciano Rodrigues, Director of Sector Intelligence at Unica, the contraction is more intense in the Midwest regions, where mills have prioritized ethanol. In São Paulo, the drop in sugar allocation was 2.5 percentage points, while in the Midwest it reached 3.5 points. "Ethanol production has shown greater attractiveness in these ...