Recife - Fifty brands of cachaça (Brazilian sugar cane liquor), produced in ten Brazilian states, will be on display in 32 stands at the Cachaça Show, which begins today in the city of Olinda, in the northeastern state of Pernambuco. 20 thousand visitors are expected at the event, which runs through Sunday (07) and should generate around US$ 710 thousand (R$ 2 million) in business.

The Cachaça Show will include tasting sessions, business rounds, and sales of products, machinery, and equipment. Lectures on fermentation, technology, and marketing are also part of the program. According to the organizers, the idea is to publicize the product, in order to increase cachaça consumption both at home and abroad.

Brazil currently exports 10 million liters of various brands of cachaça. Pernambuco is the second largest exporter of Brazilian cachaça. The state earned US$ 710 thousand (R$ 2 million) from the sale of 1.5 million liters of cachaça to countries such as Spain, Germany, the United States, and China. The goal is to conquer other markets, such as England and France, in 2005.

Agência Brasil
Reporter: Márcia Wonghon
Translator: David Silberstein
11/04/2004