BRAZILIAN 2009 ETHANOL EXPORTS TAKE A TUMBLE IN Q1

A local newspaper reports that the southern state of Parana, Brazil's second-largest producer of ethanol, exported 174 tonnes of ethanol in the first three months of 2009, representing sales of USD 87,646. Over the same period in 2008, exports reached over 75,000 tonnes, which brought in USD 39 million. The blow from this precipitous drop in exports, laid down to the global economic recession, was softened by higher prices for sugar. The data come from the federal government's Agency for International Trade, known as Secex.

The same agency reports that, of the ten products leading the state's exports, only three saw an increase in volumes over Q1 2008. Strong sugar sales to international customers helped make up for the loss of revenue from ethanol. In Q1 2009, sugar exports climbed from 299 thousand to 476 thousand tonnes, representing sales revenues of USD 137 million - a 71% increment over the same period for 2008.