Sugar Rises as Energy Costs Climb, Signaling Demand for Ethanol

By Ron Day

Dec. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Sugar prices rose as energy costs climbed, signaling higher demand for ethanol from sugar cane.

Crude-oil prices rose as much as 2.9 percent. Before today, sugar climbed 6.5 percent this year. Brazil, the world’s biggest producer, makes fuel from cane.

Raw-sugar futures for March delivery rose 0.2 cent, or 1.7 percent, to 11.72 cents a pound at 9:14 a.m. on ICE Futures U.S. in New York.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ron Day in New York at rday1@bloomberg.net.