Brazil's total cane crush falls for the 3rd consecutive year

SAO PAULO: Brazil's total cane crush, including all regions such as center-south and north-northeast, fell for the third consecutive year in the 2018/19 crop that ended in March to 625 million tonnes, the government agency Conab said on Tuesday.

In its final report for the 2018/19 crop, Conab said cane crush was 1.3 percent smaller than in the previous crop.

The agency said that sugar production in the world's largest exporter of the sweetener totaled 31.35 million tonnes, versus 37.86 million tonnes in 2017/18, as mills favored ethanol production over sugar due to better prices for the fuel.

The country's total ethanol production increased to 33.58 billion liters compared to 27.23 billion liters in the previous season.

Conab said in the report that Brazil's sugarcane planted area fell for the second consecutive year to 8.59 million hectares, 1.6 percent less than in the previous crop, as many farmers in the center-south region switched to other crops such as soybeans and corn.

The government's agency said it is preparing its first report for the new season that started in April. The release date is set for May 7.