Production and use of fuel ethanol in Brazil - BAFF

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A4. Institutional and economic aspects of
sugar-cane growing
A4.1.
What is the sugar-cane crop period in Brazil’s
Center-South region?
The Brazilian sugar and ethanol industry is a processor of the agricultural product that
is sugar-cane. Sugar-cane is a type of grass that, once matured, has a great content
of sugars (approximately 1/3 of the dry stalk matter). Sugar-cane is a semi-perennial
crop, as it can be harvested with no need for replanting fro 5 to 7 harvesting seasons
(i.e. 5 to 7 years). Following that period, a rotation can be made by growing a
different crop in the land for one crop period (peanuts, for example), whereupon
sugar-cane growing is resumed.
In Brazil’s Center-South region, the sugar-cane harvesting period extends for
8 months, on average, commencing in April and ending in November. Once it is
harvested, sugar-cane cannot be stored; it must be received at the industrial plant
within no longer than 72 hours of its harvesting in order to avoid quality losses due
to the action of bacteria and yeasts. Sugar-cane harvested more than 5 days earlier is
usually not accepted by the plants. For this reason, ethanol is produced from sugarcane
during only 8 months of the year, when sugar-cane is available. For the other 4
months, the plant stops and undergoes maintenance procedures.
Since the demand for sugar and ethanol is constant during the 12 months of the year,
the amount of ethanol produced during the 8 crop months must be sufficient to
supply the market with the fuel all through the year (leading to storage costs).
The industry also has to adjust to other typical characteristics of agriculture: crop
falls or increases due to climatic conditions or other variable that can lead to conflicts
between supply and demand.
A. Fuel ethanol: Activities in Brazil and the world context