Sugar stocks in Brazil on July 16 amounted to 5.3 million mt, up 6% from same time last year, the most recent data from the agriculture ministry, or MAPA, showed.
Roughly 99.5% of the total sugar is stocked in the Center-South region, data showed.
The 2016-17 sugarcane season in the key Center-South region began April 1, while the 2016-17 season in the largest producing states of the North-Northeast are expected to start in September.
Stocks of VHP, or very high polarization raw sugar, were up 6% on the year at 3.49 million mt
Inventory of crystal sugar with color up to 180 totaled 1.57 million mt, up 1% from same time a year ago. Stocks of crystal sugar with color from 181-300 amounted to 93,790 mt, up 72% year on year.
The lower the color, the whiter the sugar.
Stocks of the remaining sugar, included raw demerara, refined amorfo and granulated, organic and liquid, totaled 145,536 mt, up 40% on the year.
Since the season began in Center-South through July 16, the accumulated sugar production was up 30% on year at 13.8 million mt, data from industry association UNICA showed Friday.
Sugar exports in the first half of 2016 amounted to 12.5 million mt, up 50% from same period last year, data from the foreign trade ministry showed. The average price in the first half of 2016 was $314.13/mt FOB, compared with 348.95/mt in H1 2015.
