Brazil Centre-South ethanol sales dip 6% Y/Y to Aug 31, 2012

Sep 12, 2012 - Ethanol sales of plants operating in Brazil's largest sugar cane producing region Centre-South summed up 8.71 billion litres (2.301bn gallons) in the period from April 1 to August 31, 2012, down 6% year-on-year.

Of the total, 5.01 billion litres were hydrous and 3.7 billion litres -- anhydrous ethanol, data of the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) showed yesterday.

Of the said combined volume, 7.39 billion litres were sold on the domestic market and 1.32 billion litres were exported.

In the second half of August alone, however, the Centre-South region's sales marked a significant recovery in comparison with the same period of 2011 by rising 7.62% to 1.15 billion litres of ethanol.

The still slow recovery of the sales mirrors the fact that consumers have not yet realised that ethanol is already more competitive than petrol (gasoline) in various regions of the country, UNICA's interim director, Antonio de Padua Rodrigues, outlined.

The crop year in Brazil usually starts on April 1 and ends on March 31 the next year.

Choose your newsletter by Renewables Now. Join for free!