Sep 20, 2024
Sugarcane Yields in South-Central Brazil Down 7.4%
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
The sugarcane crop in south-central Brazil continues to be impacted by a prolonged drought and numerous wildfires. According to the sugarcane Technology Center (CTC), the sugarcane production in south-central Brazil is down 7.4% compared to last year due to drought and fires.
From April through August, the average sugarcane yield in south-central Brazil was 86.4 tons per hectare compared to 93.3 tons per hectare last year. The average yield in August was 78.7 tons per hectare which is down 13.7% compared to 2023. The prolonged drought has probably impacted the sugarcane crop more than the fires because it impacted the entire region. Average rainfall in the region since the first of the year is down 1,000 mm or 40 inches below average for the period.
Wildfires have also had a dramatic impact on the crop. CTC Geo estimates that 400,000 hectares of sugarcane in south-central Brazil have been impacted by fire or approximately 5% of the 7.66 million hectares grow in the region. The major impact of the fires has been in the regions of Ribeirao Preto, Sao Jose do Rio Preto, and Sao Carlos in the interior of Sao Paulo.
I addition to impacting the sugarcane that was ready for harvest, the fires biggest impact might be on next year's crop. According to the director of Tereos, the second largest sugar producer in Brazil, the impact on next year's crop depends on the stage of regrowth when the fires struck. Sugarcane is generally allowed to regrow five times before the field is replanted at a cost of approximately R$ 1,500 per hectare.
If the sugarcane had been regrowing for 3-4 months when the fires occurred, the field may have to be replanted which would significantly impact next year's yields. Tereos indicated that the fires impacted 30,000 hectares or approximately 10% of their sugarcane acreage.