Minas Gerais Agency | Government of Minas attracts investment of R$3.5 billion in the sugar and alcohol sector

The Government of Minas, through policies to attract investment and encourage production in the state, managed to attract yet another important investment that will generate jobs and income for miners. The Companhia Mineira de Açúcar e Álcool (CMAA) announced, this Friday (26/4), the investment of R$ 3.5 billion in production in Minas, over the next six years.

The amount will be applied to expanding the sugar cane crushing and production capacity of the company’s three units located in the Minas Gerais triangle. The expectation is that the investment will enable the opening of three thousand direct jobs.

“This announcement is the result of the work of the Government of Minas Gerais to value producers and the sectors that generate employment and income for miners. The ethanol and sugar industry has grown in Minas Gerais above the national average. So much so that, under our management, Minas Gerais once again occupied second place in Brazil in this type of industry. And we still have great potential for growth”, said Governor Romeu Zema.

The contribution was announced during the opening event of the Minas Gerais Sugarcane Harvest, promoted by Indústrias Sucroenergéticas de Minas Gerais (Siamig) and CMAA, in Uberaba, in the Triângulo Mineiro.

“CMAA reinforces the partnership and trust in the Government of Minas. And it is also important to highlight the work developed in partnership with the State Secretariat for Economic Development (Headquarters) and its linked agency, Invest Minas”, highlighted the president of CMAA, Carlos Eduardo Turchetto Santos.

Harvest opening

The event symbolically marks the beginning of the sugarcane harvest in the state, showing the importance of the sector and how bioenergy moves the country, boosting the economy with sustainability.

“Agriculture has been the biggest driver of economic activity in Minas. And, recently, we adopted a measure in the state, which I hope the municipalities also adopt, which is to migrate the entire fleet to fuel with ethanol, which is a renewable fuel. We have to show the world that Brazil already has an energy solution as good as the electric car, which is our ethanol car. And as far as the state government depends, we will continue to give full support to the sector, because we want Minas to continue moving forward”, added the governor.

The ceremony was also attended by the Secretary of State for Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Seapa), Thales Fernandes; the chairman of the Board of Directors of the CMAA Group, José Francisco Santos; the Minister of State for Agriculture and Livestock, Carlos Fávaro; the Minister of State for Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira; the president of the Legislative Assembly of Minas Gerais, state deputy Tadeu Martins Leite; the CEO of Invest Minas, João Paulo Braga; among other authorities.

Sector in Minas

In 2023, the cultivation of sugar cane in Minas Gerais resulted in a 20% growth in job creation compared to 2022, totaling the opening of 540 jobs. This significant increase is largely the result of a harvest that should prove to be a record in the state.

According to the first estimate of the sugarcane harvest for this period, released this Thursday (25/4) by the National Supply Company (Conab), the state should harvest 83.2 million tons of sugarcane, a volume 2.3% higher than that crushed in the last harvest. This year, the increase in the harvest comes from the expansion of the production area, which grew by 8.1%, while productivity tends to fall by 5.4%.

With the estimated harvest volume, Minas Gerais remains the second largest producer of sugar cane in Brazil, second only to São Paulo. For the country, the estimate is a lower volume, with the harvest of 685.86 million tons of sugar cane, thus generating a reduction of 3.8% in relation to the previous harvest.

Support for the sugar-energy sector

At the end of the day, Governor Romeu Zema was in Itapagipe, still in the Triângulo Mineiro, to learn about the work of BP Bunge Bioenergia, a company that combines bioenergy and ethanol from sugar cane. In Minas alone, there are around 3 thousand direct jobs.

“Agriculture in Minas has played an increasingly important role. Year after year, participation in the Minas economy has increased. This is due to the commitment of all of you who have believed in Minas. We have credibility again”, said the governor .

BP Bunge recently established a partnership with the telephone company TIM to distribute 4G internet to more than 16 million hectares in the region. There are 98 company towers that will bring internet to the 11 units where the company operates, in five states (Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, São Paulo, Tocantins and Minas Gerais). impacting more than 105 thousand people in the 46 municipalities neighboring the company’s units, including 65 schools, 53 of which are public.

In Minas, there are 41 active towers to expand internet access to the cities where BP Bunge is located, reaching 43 thousand people, in 18 cities. The objective is to contribute to a digital transformation, boosting the company’s operational efficiency strategy, which includes increased productivity, reduced costs and even more sustainable processes.

“With this partnership, we will bring information from our entire harvesting area”, highlighted the CEO of BP Bunge, Geovane Consul.

“It is a great pleasure to see this progress, to see the company implementing technology that increases the productivity of its operations, improves the lives of employees and also the communities that will benefit”, concluded the governor.