Brazilian ethanol sales continue late-year rally

Ethanol sales from Brazil's central-south region jumped 30.3% year-on-year in the second half of November to 1.17Bl, according to the latest figures from national sugarcane industry association Unica. Exports accounted for 286Ml while national sales totaled 888Ml as producers continued their late-year recovery. On the domestic market, sales of hydrous ethanol - used for ethanol-only and flex-fuel vehicles - rose 13.4% year-on-year to 562Ml. Anhydrous alcohol, which is blended into the gasoline admixture, jumped 11.2% to 327Ml. Overall sales from the beginning of the harvest on April 1 to November 30 reached 14.9Bl, a 1.76% increase on the same period last year. Exports accounted for 2.59Ml and the domestic market 12.3Bl, according to Unica. Ethanol production in the second half of November reached 1.09Bl, of which 601Ml were destined to hydrous biofuel and 489Ml to anhydrous output. Output of the biofuel from April 1 to November 30 hit 20.4Bl. Anhydrous ethanol rose 8.18% year-on-year to 8.44Bl while the volume of hydrous alcohol fell 4.22% to 11.9Bl. "Growth during the second half of November was due to drier weather that allowed for easier cane collection and a greater number of units in operation," Unica's technical director Antonio de Padua Rodrigues said.