Sugar production in Brazil affected due to heavy rains in producing areas

25-Nov-2024 06:06 PM

Heavy rains in Brazil’s central southern region over the last two weeks of last month have significantly impacted sugar production in the country, the world’s largest sugar producer and exporter.

Flooding in key sugarcane-producing areas has disrupted harvesting, preparation, and transportation processes, leading to reduced output of sugar and ethanol.

The central southern region of Brazil accounts for approximately 90% of the country's sugar production, with the remaining 10% coming from the northern and northeastern states.

While the sugar produced in the northern provinces is primarily consumed domestically, most of the sugar from the central southern region is exported.

Sao Paulo, the most important sugar-producing state, contributes around 60% of the sugar from this central southern region, much of which is exported.

However, the province has faced challenges this year due to severe heat and several incidents of arson, which are expected to cause significant damage to the sugarcane crop.

While the total amount of sugarcane crushed in the first seven months of the current marketing season in the central southern region increased slightly by 1% compared to the previous season (reaching 566.03 million tonnes), experts predict that the quantity of sugarcane crushed in the coming months will decline.

Furthermore, the sugar recovery rate is expected to weaken due to the ongoing challenges faced by the industry.