Ethanol sales total 2.11 billion liters in December

SAO PAULO,- Ethanol sales by the central and southern units or Brazil's sugar cane industry association, or UNICA, totaled 2.11 billion liters in December, of which 118.12 million went to the foreign market and 1.99 billion stayed in the domestic market, the entity said today.

As of the beginning of the crop, the accumulated ethanol sales totaled 20.39 billion liters, or only 4.89% above the total reported a year earlier. Meanwhile, hydrated ethanol sales to the domestic market reached 1.46 billion liters in December, up 7.65% against the same month in 2008, and 4.56% higher than November 2009.

Despite December's hike in sales as result of consumption seasonality throughout the year, there was a retraction in hydrated ethanol sales' growth in the Brazilian market. In June 2009, domestic sales rose 27.78% YOY, as October's sales grew 18.36% against the same month in 2008.

According to UNICA, this progressive reduction reflects the increase in hydrated ethanol prices in gas stations, as result of crop difficulties and the coming intercrop period.

source: istockanalyst