Sugarcane crushing in Brazil’s North and Northeast regions totaled 32.5 million metric tons by Nov. 30, marking a 9.4% decline from the same period a year earlier, industry association NovaBio said on Friday.
The volume crushed so far in the 2025-26 season accounts for just over half of the total cane supply expected for the full harvest, which runs from April through March, in the two regions.
The North and Northeast were expected to crush 59 million tons of sugarcane in the 2025/26 season, according to November data from the government crop agency Conab, reported Reuters.
NovaBio president Renato Cunha said the drop recorded through November reflects both structural and short-term challenges, including adverse weather conditions. “The numbers indicate a shorter crop so far, particularly in the Northeast,” he said in a statement.
In the Northeast, sugarcane crushing declined 9.1% to 26.1 million tons, while the North saw a steeper fall of 10.9% to 6.3 million tons, NovaBio reported.
Cunha noted that mills in both regions are diverting a larger share of cane to anhydrous ethanol production this season, citing weaker sugar prices.
As a result, sugar production during the period fell 24% to 1.66 million tons, according to the group.
Ethanol output from the two regions reached 1.38 billion liters, down 7.8% from the previous season. NovaBio attributed the decline to the smaller sugarcane harvest, despite a higher proportion of cane being used for biofuel production.
