Cepea, August 6, 2025 – Crystal sugar prices finished July practically stable in the spot market in São Paulo. However, the monthly average dropped. From July 28 to August 1st, the CEPEA/ESALQ Index for sugar (Icumsa 130-180) averaged BRL 120.39 per 50-kg bag, for a slight increase of 0.07% compared to that in the previous period (BRL 120.31/bag from July 21-25). In July, the Index averaged BRL 118.49/bag, downing 6.29% compared to the average in June (BRL 126.44/bag).
In general, domestic prices have been increasing since the second fortnight of July, after registering, in the beginning of the month, the minimum levels over the last three years, in nominal terms. Mills have been trying to keep prices traded, although the demand is not firm.
From July 28 to August 1st, Cepea calculations show that the weekly average of the CEPEA/ESALQ Index for white crystal sugar closed at BRL 120.39 per 50-kilo bag, while the average of the October/25 contract at ICE Futures closed at 117.24 BRL per bag. Thus, sales in the spot market of SP remunerated 2.69% more than exports did. This figure considered weekly averages at USD 62.98 per ton of freight and charges, USD 92.37 per ton for quality premium and dollar at BRL 5.5778.
Abroad, demerara sugar quotes dropped at ICE Futures due to the good performance of the cane harvesting and of the sugar production in the Central-Southern area in Brazil in the first fortnight of July.
Data from Unica indicate that the Central-Southern region in Brazil produced 49.823 million tons of sugarcane and 3.406 million tons of sugar, upping 14.77% and 15.07%, respectively, in relation to the same period last year. Unica also says that the production mix was higher for sugar (53.68%).
Between the crop beginning (April 1st) and the first fortnight of July, the Central-South processed 256.14 million tons of cane, downing 9.61% compared to that in the same period of the season before. The sugar production, in turn, totaled 15.655 million tons, for a decrease of 9.22% against that in the same period last year.
(Cepea-Brazil)
Centro de Estudos Avançados em Economia Aplicada – CEPEA-Esalq/USP
