Milling by the producing units of the Center-South region of Brazil reached 42.37 million tons of sugarcane in the first 15 days of June. The result is almost equal to the 42.52 million tons recorded in the same period of 2018, but 3.92% less than in the last fortnight of May 2019. This reduction reaches 4.10% in the accumulated value. From the start of the 2019/2020 harvest to June 16, the processed quantity amounted to 170.81 million tons, against 178.11 million tons up to the same period of the previous cycle. “Despite the dry climate observed in recent weeks, the milling of the harvest is still delayed by more than 7 million tons,” explains Antonio de Padua Rodrigues, a direct technician at the Sugar Cane Industry Union (Unica). Regarding the number of units in the harvest, 251 were in operation in the Center-South until June 16, against 259 until the same date of 2018. Another nine units are expected to start operations in the coming weeks. Regarding agricultural productivity, preliminary data from the Sugarcane Technology Center (CTC) indicate a fall of 2.16% in agricultural income in the first half of June. Considering a common sample of producing units, the indicator dropped from 89.69 tonnes per hectare harvested in 2018 to 87.75 tonnes per hectare at the beginning of June this year.
Source: Revista Globo Rural