EXPORT STORIES: Cachaça Palmeira bets on exclusive flavors and personalized packaging to reach markets abroad

Recognized as an intangible historical heritage of Tocantins for around six months, cachaça manufactured in the southwest of the state is part of the trajectory of countless families producing the drink in the region. This is the case of the Palmeira family — residing in the municipality of Combinado.

“Cachaça is a family tradition. My grandparents already produced cachaça in the state of Bahia; my father started production here in Combinado more than 30 years ago”, says Paulo, small businessman and founder of Cachaça Palmeira.

More than a source of income, the product is a source of pride, he explains. “It’s logical that we think about making a profit, but what motivates me is the joy of seeing someone keeping a bottle of cachaça that they received as a gift with the greatest care. It’s not a product to tear families apart, but to unite families”, states.

Identity

When founding Cachaça Palmeira, the entrepreneur was not content with the expertise acquired in manufacturing the drink. After studying business management, Paulo sought to give the business an identity. To achieve his goal, he invested in the production of exclusive flavors and personalized packaging.

“I have five types of cachaça that you will only find in Palmeira. For example, barumel, tanned in baru with honey; figomel, tanned in figs with honey; tamarind, tanned in tamarind fruit, something specific”, he says.

“I have a variety of more than 30 packages. I’m passionate about my state and, wherever I go, I always take the name of Tocantins and these two tourist clusters, Jalapão and Serras Gerais. It’s on the packaging that is Tocantins’ intangible heritage. It’s the my cachaça representing culture, tradition, valuing one’s own identity”, he adds.

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Differential

And it is precisely this identity that the small producer relies on as an asset to expand sales beyond the national market. “If I’m going to enter the export line, I want to enter with a differentiated product. I don’t want to export cachaça for the sake of cachaça. I’m not worried about quantity. I’m worried about quality”, he points out.

Paulo says he noticed several potential markets for Cachaça Palmeira in the international market after participating in the programs of the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil).

The most recent of these was Exporta Mais Brasil, a program that aims to connect Brazilian entrepreneurs with international buyers. On May 15th and 16th, Paulo participated in a business roundtable, in Palmas, capital of Tocantins, with potential clients from different countries, including India, Peru and Portugal.

“I believe that Apex will take me very far. I need an institution with a name, that has credibility, that knows how to guide small entrepreneurs. I am a small entrepreneur today in the hands of Apex, in the hope of one day being able to grow”, designs.

Last year, the Export More Brazil promoted 13 meetings across the country, which attracted 143 international buyers, resulting in R$275 million in business generated for 487 national companies.

In 2024, the agency intends to increase the number of editions of the program to 14. To participate, the entrepreneur simply needs to read the regulations and, if the company is eligible, he or she can register it for the selection process. Exporta Mais Brasil actions have no costs for the selected Brazilian companies.

For more information access: www.apexbrasil.com.br.

By Brasil 61