en.Wedoany.com Reported - Chevrolet has launched the Onix and Onix Plus Eco models, developed exclusively for operation on pure ethanol, which is expected to bring new momentum to the corn production chain in Mato Grosso do Sul. The Informativo Econômico issue 09/2026 notes that this move comes at a time when local corn ethanol production is expanding, demand for biofuels is rising, and new industrial investments are pouring in.
Both new models are equipped with turbocharged engines developed specifically for ethanol-only operation, reinforcing the strategy of adding value to biofuels. Aligned with this direction, the mandatory blend ratio of anhydrous ethanol in gasoline has been increased from 30% to 32%, which alone will boost renewable fuel consumption by approximately 1 billion liters per year.
Linneu Borges Filho, economic analyst at the Mato Grosso do Sul Soybean and Corn Producers Association (Aprosoja/MS), stated that the launch of ethanol-only models is another sign of the strengthening of the biofuel chain, compounding with the local expansion of corn ethanol production capacity and creating positive prospects for grain demand and value addition within the state.
This outlook is supported by concrete data for Mato Grosso do Sul. According to the SIGA-MS Project (Projeto SIGA-MS), second-crop production in the state for the 2025/2026 season is estimated at 11.139 million tons, with a planted area of 2.206 million hectares.
Local processing industries are in an expansion phase. The corn ethanol plant in Sidrolândia has already begun operations, while Nova Alvorada do Sul has announced investments to build a mixed-operation plant using both sugarcane and corn as feedstocks.
Currently, corn ethanol accounts for approximately 38% of Brazil's biofuel production. Given its lower production costs compared to sugarcane ethanol, as well as the storability of corn, which helps mitigate seasonal effects, this share still has room to grow.
The study points out that an increased ethanol supply could benefit consumers, helping to lower fuel prices, stimulate domestic consumption, and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. For rural producers, local corn processing adds value, reduces logistics costs, and creates better marketing opportunities.
Filho concluded that the strengthening of the ethanol chain benefits the overall economy by adding value to grain through increased local processing and creating new opportunities for rural producers; the government's long-term strategy of promoting ethanol as a substitute for gasoline is particularly necessary at this stage.
