Sugar Cane output in Brazil could Rise 22% in year 2008
Farmers in Brazil are world’s biggest producer of Sugar-cane today. They are growing better yielding strains of the tropical plant and expanding crop areas as demand for sweetener and ethanol increases. Above-average rains in recent months have also helped boost yields for the year 2008.
Brazilian output of sugar-cane (which is used for sweeteners and ethanol) will rise as much as 22 percent from 2007 year’s record because of increased planting and as rains and new technologies boost crop yields, the government said.
Brazilian sugar mills will crush 558.1 million to 579.8 million tons of cane this year, up from 475.1 million tons last year. Total output, including sugar cane used to make alcohol and animal feed, will rise to between 607.8 million and 631.5 million metric tons, compared with 549.9 million tons last year.
The main reasons for this growth are good weather and planting of more productive varieties of sugar cane. The crop increase is also due to new growing areas. Sugar cane planting for April - November crop grew 11 percent to 7.8 million hectares (19.3 million acres).
Sugar production by Brazilian mills will rise as much as 12% to between 33.9 million and 35.2 million of metric tons in year 2008. As contrast in year 2007 the production was 31.3 million tons.