The volume of sugarcane processed in the north and northeast in the 2024-2025 season maintained its growth trajectory at the end of the first half of December, reaching 39.97 million tons. According to data from the Association of Sugar, Ethanol and Bioenergy Producers (NovaBio), an entity that includes 35 sugar energy plants in 11 Brazilian states, production grew by 2.4% as of December 15 compared to the same period of the previous harvest. Factories located in the northeast represent 32.64 million tons, or 81.67% of the total processors, while factories located in the northern region amounted to 7.32 million tons, or 18.31% of the total.
With 65% of the crop harvested in the two regions, the current agricultural cycle has been characterized by the absence of regular rains, reducing the total forecast for the current crop from 63 to 62 million tons. However, according to NovaBio CEO Renato Cunha, the drought has increased the concentration of total recoverable sugar (ATR) per ton of sugarcane.
“As a result, the levels of sucrose extracted from the plant allowed the final products to be manufactured in larger quantities compared to the previous crop, especially in the case of sugar and hydroethanol,” explains the executive who also heads the sugar industry. Union and Alcohol in the State of Pernambuco (Sindaçúcar/PE).
As of December 15, sugar production maintained its growth rate, reaching 2.51 million tons, an increase of 15.1% compared to 2.18 million tons produced during the same period of the 2023-2024 season. In the current harvest season, the Northeast should continue to export approximately 62% of its sugar production through the ports of MaceiĂł (AL), Recife (PE), Suape (PE), JoĂŁo Pessoa (PB), and Natal (RN).
Of the total ethanol production in the North and Northeast compared to the same period of previous milling, hydro-ethanol available at the pumps for supplying flex-fuel vehicles recorded an increase of 26.9% to 1.02 billion liters compared to 809 million liters in 2018. 2023-2024. The amount of anhydrous gasoline mixed with gasoline amounted to 612.6 million liters, a decrease of 24.7% compared to the 813.2 million liters manufactured in the last agricultural cycle.
For NovaBio’s CEO, this decline in anhydrous production is mainly due to the lack of rules that provide greater competition for biofuels compared to gasoline. “When the world is looking for sustainable solutions for the transportation sector, it is illogical that Brazil, one of the world leaders in ethanol production, has the unpredictability of fuel prices,” notes Cunha.
The NovaBio president said that the plants and production chain of the sector believe in expanding the national anhydrous ethanol market, while promoting new blend levels in gasoline. He concluded that “increasing the mixture from the current 27% to 30%, which is scheduled to take place at the end of March, will lead to an increase in the size of this market by more than 11%, which will achieve more sustainability for the national gasoline.”
The total production of ethanol, in addition to the quantities of anhydrous and humectant, achieved a growth of 1% to reach 1.63 billion liters, compared to 1.62 billion liters manufactured at the end of the first half of December 2023.
In the same comparative period, the physical stock of ethanol, combined with 253.8 million liters of water and 217.6 million liters of anhydrous, amounted to 471.4 million litres, which is higher than the 436.3 million liters stored during the 2023-2024 harvest season.
Sugarcane production by state as of December 15 reached the following levels:
Amazon 0.36 mil/ton
MaranhĂŁo 2.14 mi/t
Bara 1.32 miles/ton
PiauĂ 1.12 mi/t
Tocantins 2.36 miles/ton
Alagoas 10.68 miles/ton
Pernambuco 8.68 miles/ton
Bahia 4.59 miles/ton
Paraiba 4.84 miles/ton
Rio Grande do Norte 2.42 mph
Sergipe 1.40 mi/t
Total as of December 15: 39.97 million tons of sugarcane. NovaBio
