SAO PAULO/NEW YORK- Sugar production in Brazil's main production belt rose 37% in the second half of July compared to the same period a year earlier to 3.41 million tonnes, as mills held on to the strategy to maximize the sweetener's production at the expense of ethanol.
According to a report by industry group Unica on Tuesday, mills processed 50.47 million tonnes of sugar cane in the second part of July, 1.15% more than last year and slightly above market expectations for the period. Ethanol production fell 10% to 2.39 billion liters.
(Reporting by Luciano Costa and Marcelo Teixeira Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) ((marcelo.teixeira@tr.com; +1 332 220 8062; Reuters Messaging: marcelo.teixeira.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net - https://twitter.com/tx_marcelo))
