Amazon Producer Integrates Cachaça, Exotic Fruits, and Pirarucu Farming in Backyard

In Borba, Amazonas, entrepreneur Régis Rocha is gaining attention for his innovative approach to utilizing his urban backyard as a multi-faceted experimental space. Rocha skillfully combines artisanal cachaça production, the cultivation of exotic fruits, and the farming of pirarucu, a native Amazonian fish. His project showcases a deep understanding of adapting traditional techniques to the unique conditions of the Amazon region. Visitors to his property are greeted by grapevines and pomegranate trees, demonstrating his success in growing non-native species in the tropical climate. Rocha notes that the Amazonian climate, lacking distinct seasons, encourages continuous growth in plants like grapes, which constantly produce leaves and fruit. He meticulously manages the cachaça production process, starting with sugarcane fermentation. Due to the lower sucrose content in locally grown sugarcane, Rocha adjusts the sugar levels to achieve an optimal Brix of 17 for efficient anaerobic fermentation, a process where bacteria convert sugar to alcohol without oxygen. He also incorporates puxuri, an Amazonian plant known for its strong aroma, into his cachaça recipe. Beyond beverages, Rocha cultivates less common fruits such as pomegranates. His pirarucu farming operation features a cost-effective filtration system he designed using readily available local materials, specifically broken bricks, to maintain water quality. This natural filtration system mimics expensive biological filters, ensuring a healthy environment for the fish. Currently, his seven-month-old pirarucu are reaching an impressive weight of approximately 20 kilograms.