Sugarcane yield: TCH, TAH and ATR explained.

What are TCH, ATR and TAH in sugarcane production?

TCH · Tonnes of cane per hectare

How much cane was produced per unit of land? TCH expresses agricultural yield in tonnes per hectare.

ATR · Total recoverable sugar

How much sugar is recoverable per tonne of cane? Expressed in kg/t, ATR describes a characteristic of the raw material; it does not measure output per hectare.

TAH · Tonnes of sugar per hectare

How much sugar is produced per unit of land? TAH tracks sugar yield and complements cane tonnage. This site's calculator estimates it from ATR, so its result represents recoverable sugar per hectare.

Conceptual references: Embrapa — sugarcane production (Portuguese) and CONSECANA-SP rules, Article 8 — ATR definition (Portuguese).

How do you calculate TCH and TAH from ATR?

Use production and harvested area from the same period. To calculate TAH, also provide the ATR for the cane concerned, in kg/t.

TCH: divide production by harvested area

TCH = tonnes of cane ÷ harvested hectares. Harvesting 1,000 tonnes from 10 hectares gives 100 tonnes of cane/ha.

TAH: connect cane yield with recoverable sugar

TAH = TCH × ATR ÷ 1,000. A TCH of 100 t/ha and an ATR of 140 kg/t give 14 tonnes of recoverable sugar/ha. Dividing by 1,000 converts kilograms of sugar into tonnes.

Formula reference: Andrade (2021), Instituto Agronômico dissertation, section 3.4.2 (Portuguese PDF). The example figures are illustrative.

Can ATR be calculated from area and cane production alone?

No. Area and harvested tonnage allow you to calculate TCH. ATR must come from cane-quality data on a basis consistent with the production entered. Without it, the calculator reports TCH only; it does not assume an ATR for your field.

Before comparing calculated TAH with another report, check the methodology. This estimate of recoverable sugar per hectare does not automatically replace the TAH reported in the company series below.

How do you calculate the average of two fields?

Consider two hypothetical fields harvested in the same period. These are the inputs used by the calculator's example button; they are not Beggio Lorenzo's results.

Together, the fields total 40 hectares, 3,400 tonnes of cane and 452 tonnes of recoverable sugar: 140 tonnes from the first field and 312 from the second. Therefore:

• Combined TCH: 85 t/ha — 3,400 ÷ 40.
• Combined TAH: 11.3 t/ha — 452 ÷ 40.
• Average ATR: approximately 132.941 kg/t — (1,000 × 140 + 2,400 × 130) ÷ 3,400.

TCH and TAH are weighted by area; ATR is weighted by cane tonnage. Taking the simple average of 100 and 80 would give 90 t/ha, assigning the same weight to fields of different sizes.

The company's reported performance over time

The figures below reproduce the company presentation supplied by Giuliano. Years retain the labels used in the original material.

Source: Beggio Lorenzo company presentation, version 06. Figures supplied by the company are preserved as reported. They are not a standardized comparison with other farms.

What the series shows

TCH increased from 84.80 in 2022 to 129.15 in 2026, a 52.3% increase between the first and last values. Each of the five TCH records exceeds the preceding one. The change is calculated as (129.15 ÷ 84.80 − 1) × 100, rounded to one decimal place.

Reported TAH also rises across all five records, from 12.92 to 18.26 t/ha. ATR varies over the period. This shows why the three indicators should be read together: sugar concentration per tonne does not, on its own, tell the same story as production per hectare.

The series describes results. It does not isolate the effect of any particular practice or establish profitability. Performance comparisons need to account for each crop season, growing conditions and measurement criteria.

How should TCH and ATR be interpreted together?

Can TCH increase while ATR falls?

Yes. TCH measures tonnes of cane per hectare; ATR measures recoverable sugar per tonne of cane. More cane does not require sugar concentration to rise in the same proportion. Looking at only one indicator can therefore hide part of the result.

A per-hectare example

In a hypothetical example, 100 tonnes of cane per hectare with ATR of 140 kg/t correspond to 14,000 kg of recoverable sugar per hectare. At 110 tonnes of cane per hectare and ATR of 135 kg/t, the calculated amount would be 14,850 kg per hectare. ATR falls, but calculated recoverable sugar per unit of land increases.

These figures are illustrative, not Beggio Lorenzo results. TCH × ATR expresses recoverable sugar per hectare when the underlying data are compatible; it should not automatically replace the TAH in the reported series, whose methodology must be respected.

Does that mean higher profitability?

Not necessarily. Physical indicators do not capture all costs, prices and payment conditions. Economic assessment needs costs and revenue from the same period and a consistent comparison basis. See the discussion of investment returns and sustainability in farm management (Portuguese).

How can you compare yield across crop seasons?

The Beggio Lorenzo performance chart shows the series visually. To interpret a difference between two years, also check what each measurement includes.

Compare equivalent periods and areas

A completed crop season and a partial result cover different periods. Record harvest dates and the area included each year. When the mix of fields changes, the farm average may reflect both changes within each field and the different contribution of each area.

Consider the growing conditions

Variety, growing environment and harvest timing help explain performance, as discussed in Embrapa's sugarcane production reference (Portuguese). In your management records, distinguish plant cane from ratoon cane and record water conditions and management practices for each period. For upcoming operations, consult the Brazilian weather sources and farm-planning checklists.

Use the same calculation basis

Check that both seasons use harvested hectares, cane tonnage and averages weighted by the same criteria. The two-field example explains why a simple average can distort the result.

These checks make comparisons more useful for deciding what to investigate and track. The company series preserves the figures as reported; the information on this page is insufficient to reconstruct each crop season field by field.

Management, planning and field experience

The relationship between management and production also appears in Giuliano's public contributions. In a report published in May 2026, PwC Agtech Innovation records his participation in a discussion about planning, integrating operational and financial data, and challenges in the sugarcane industry.

Read the PwC Agtech Innovation report (Portuguese)

For more context, explore Giuliano's background and institutional roles, Beggio Lorenzo's sustainability initiatives and the Visão do Campo newsletter (Portuguese).