In regional terms, Brazil has two distinct harvest periods: from September to March in the North and Northeast and from April to November in the Center and South.
Even though ethanol production extends throughout the year, in the North-Northeast region, it represents only 10% of the national total, which was 22,5 billion liters in 2007.
The largest distilleries produce around 85 liters of anhydrous ethanol per ton of cane. The mills produce around 71 kg of sugar and 42 liters of ethanol for each ton of cane processed.
There is a greater concentration of plants in Zona da Mata, in the Northeast region, and in the state of São Paulo, in the Southeast region. In general, sugarcane growing areas are located within a radius of 25 km from the mills, helping to make transport cheaper.
The state of São Paulo stands out in terms of volume, as it represents 60% of the entire production of cane, sugar and ethanol in the country. The second largest producer is Paraná, with 8% of sugarcane ground in Brazil.
In the world, sugar cane is cultivated in more than 100 countries, being the main crop and the largest source of labor in rural areas.
Despite the worldwide spread, 80% of the planet’s production is concentrated in ten countries: Brazil, India, China, Mexico, Thailand, Pakistan, Colombia, Australia, Indonesia, the United States. Brazil and India are the ones that produce the most, totaling more than half of all sugarcane produced worldwide.
Even sugar cane has high economic importance, its culture represents little when it comes to area occupation, compared to those dedicated to grain production.
The harvested area of sugarcane in the world was approximately 20,4 million hectares in 2006. In the same year, the harvested area of soy was 93,0 million hectares, that of corn corresponded to 144,4 million hectares and rice, 154,3 million.
In Brazil, sugarcane is the third temporary crop in terms of area occupation, after soybeans and corn. The sugarcane’s photosynthetic conversion efficiency is excellent, allowing for exceptional productivity.
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