SAO PAULO, March 6 (Reuters) - Exports of sugar from Brazil, the world's largest producer of the sweetener, rose 162% in February to 3.02 million metric tons, three times the volume seen in the same month a year earlier, the country's trade ministry said on Wednesday.
The unusually high export amount for a month when Brazil is in the between-crops period showcases how the world is depending more on the abundant sugar supplies at Brazilian ports after a record crop, at a time of poor crops in Asia.
India, the second largest sugar producer, is harvesting a smaller crop and the government blocked exports to guarantee local supplies.
Drier than normal weather in Center-South (CS) Brazil in the first months of the year has allowed sugar exports to perform at a high level in the main port of Santos, said on Wednesday Plinio Nastari, a senior sugar analyst with Datagro consultancy.
The first quarter is usually a wet period in Brazil, which normally hampers port activities.
Datagro projects March exports at 1.8 million tons, also high for that month, indicating total CS Brazil shipments of 32.8 million tonnes in 2023/24, a record.
Coffee exports were also very high for February, according to the government, at 3.61 million 60-kg bags, 77% more than in the same period in 2023.
Brazil will only start to harvest the new coffee crop around April for the robusta variety, and May or June for arabica beans.
Coffee exporting group Cecafe said this week that shipments could have been even bigger if not for logistics bottlenecks.
Cecafe said that Brazilian coffee exporters are facing delays to load coffee due to late arrivals of container ships.
The group said that 75% of the vessels coming to the country in February changed their schedules, a level of delay considered high and usually only seen during peak harvesting time in the second half. (Reporting by Roberto Samora in Sao Paulo and Marcelo Teixeira in New York; Editing by David Gregorio)
