Brazil SP cane growers to ban burning by 2017

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Independent sugar cane suppliers in Brazil's top producing state, Sao Paulo, signed an agreement with the state's government on Thursday setting a date to stop cane burning, Brazil's agriculture ministry said.

Under the accord, the state will end burning in flat areas by 2014 and in hilly areas by 2017 -- well ahead of the targets of 2021 and 2031 for flat and hilly areas, respectively, which were set by a state law.

A similar agreement was signed last year by ethanol and sugar mills, which crush their own cane and cane bought from independent suppliers. The dates are the same in both deals.

Twenty-three associations, involving 13,000 producers and a total cane output of 91 million tonnes, signed the agreement.

The industry sees the deal as a step forward in protecting the sector against environmental concerns raised by international clients.

More than 50 percent of Sao Paulo's cane crop this season is expected to be harvested mechanically, which does not require burning.

Cane fields are burned before manual harvest to clear foliage and pests and to allow workers to get into the fields. Especially when humidity is low, it can cause huge clouds of smoke and endanger public health in nearby communities.

(Reporting by Inae Riveras, editing by Matthew Lewis)