Sugarcane plantations were hit by heavy frosts in July, especially in the interior of São Paulo. Farmers predict a decrease in the quality of the raw material, in addition to the loss of weight and sucrose in the mills. Ice also affected native seedlings.In Jardinópolis the loss was estimated at around 20% in a sugarcane field. In Sertãozinho the land was covered with ice where there was already a harvest. There were also reflections in Ribeirão Preto, which registered the coldest day (July 20) in almost two decades, with 1ºC.
The Association of Sugarcane Planters of the West of São Paulo is mapping the most affected regions. Agronomist André Bosch Volpe explains that low temperatures freeze and kill the plant from within, directly affecting the apical bud, which is the point responsible for sugarcane growth.“The cane would continue to grow from that point onwards, so depending on the damage that occurs, the intensity of the frost and the damage that occurs to the apical bud, this cane can even die. It starts to deteriorate from top to bottom, from tip to foot,” he says.Harvesting what was affected before its time is the solution so that the mills can use what is left, but now the plant has less energy value, according to Volpe. As a result, the price of sugar and ethanol production could increase.
“This, possibly, should affect the value of sugar and ethanol further; maybe towards the end of the harvest. By the time the end of the harvest comes in, we will be able to quantify, in fact, how much this affected the production drop and, for sure, it will start to reflect in price”, he says.
In this harvest, production estimated at more than 270 million tons is expected to be less than 260 million tons. The effects should also be noticed in the next harvest. With the frost, crop management will be more complex. The sprouts in the already harvested area, which was affected by the frost, will undergo pruning, and will sprout again, but with a delay in relation to the vegetative process previously expected. This affects not only productivity but also planning for the 2022/23 harvest. If the producer harvests before, he loses in productivity, due to the plant cycle. If you delay, you get more complicated handling and costs.
Source: Agrolink