Brazil drought may be bigger sugar threat in 2015

(AgriMoney) – The dent to Brazilian sugar output from drought which has forced more than 140 cities to ration water could be felt more in 2015, because of a buffer for this year presented by unharvested cane.

Sao Martinho, one of Brazil’s largest ethanol and sugar producers, said decent cane yields this year had meant mills in the Centre South region, responsible for some 90% of the country’s sugar output, leaving some cane for crushing when the 2014-15 season ramps up in March.

Sao Martinho had finished with about 1.4m tonnes of cane left unharvested which gave the group “a buffer” against any damage to the crop.

For 2014-15, the group had industrial capacity, and 16.5m tonnes of cane to crush “even if the drought lasts as long as the end of February”, Mr Vicchiato told investors.

“Other companies also had good yields, and they are probably carrying over their cane as well.

“So, this year, we think that there should be more sugarcane because we still have the carried over cane.”

‘Very rare event’

As an extra boost, it was likely that the Centre South would not, as last year, suffer a frost which damaged some cane.

“This was a very rare event that should not be repeated this year,” he said.

Furthermore, “last year we had a lot rain fall in the midst of the crop season. And if we do not have the same rain this year, the [sugar levels in cane] should improve”.

“All in all, we are considering that this crop will be pretty much in keeping with that of last year in terms of the end product.”

‘Problems with replanting’

It could be next year which sees a bigger effect, with companies potentially lacking the buffer of carryover cane, and finding new crop cane sowings damage.

The concern for Sao Martinho was that it would “not have enough cane for the crop year of 2015-16,” Mr Vicchiato said.

The comments tally with concerns raised by observers such as Marex Spectron, the London broker, which on Monday restated caution over recently-planted cane, which would typically not be harvested until at least mid-2015.

“There have certainly been problems with replanting,” Marex said.

“Some [cane] failed to germinate or germinated and then died, while a lot of time for re-planting was simply lost because the ground was too dry to plant at all in January.”

However, it added that with the Centre South as big as Western Europe, there was some danger in making generalisations, as “variations across the territory are huge”.

‘Not sufficient’

The comments come as some rain has returned to the Centre South, although “most forecasters think that the rains foreseen for the coming 10 days will not be sufficient”, Marex said.

In fact, nearly 6 million people were now affected by water shortages, with some neighbourhoods only receiving waters once every three days, according to the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper.

Water levels in the largest reservoir serving Sao Paulo city have fallen below 19% of the water capacity of 1,000bn litres (264bn gallons), with reports of some alarm, , if rains are not forthcoming, at the prospect of hosting the soccer World Cup later this year.

Hedged ahead

Mr Vicchiato’s comments followed Sao Martinho’s release of results showing a quadrupling in earnings for the October-to-December quarter to R$32.96m, reflecting reduced depreciation charge and the impact of the weaker dollar in boosting the value of its dollar cash balance.

Underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (ebitda) rose 4.6% to R$168.4m, on revenues up 6.7% at R$444.4m, reflecting higher yields and a larger area of cane under management.

The group signalled caution over ideas of sugar price rises by revealing that it had sold ahead 338,536 tonnes ahead at 18.34 cents a pound.

This represented 44% of internal expectations for 2014-15 sugar output – “total sugar production” outside volumes sold through the Consecana council.

However, BancoFator estimated that it represented only 33% of Sao Martinho’s likely sugar output next season.

Raw sugar futures for 2014-15 are valued at 15.99 cents a pound for New York’s May contract to 17.45 cents a pound for the March 2015 lot.