Family reaches 100 litres of milk, 70 sweets daily on 16 hectares

Agroindústria Pé da Serra is operated by Noêmia Nogueira and her two children in the Santa Lúcia settlement in Bonito, in Mato Grosso do Sul. The property combines dairy production with the artisanal manufacture of sweets made from milk and fruit grown on the 16-hectare holding.

The business developed after Nogueira began attending community courses on artisanal sweet-making. Born in the interior of São Paulo, she moved to Mato Grosso while still young. She later earned a degree in languages and specialised in educational psychology, while teaching multi-grade classes within the settlement. She built her house there and raised her children on the property.

The family’s first years in the settlement included limited infrastructure. There was no electricity, some families lived in homes covered with tarpaulin, and drinking water was brought in barrels from neighbouring farms. After the sweets began reaching local shops, the business faced a separate regulatory problem: a lack of sanitary registration resulted in products being seized and sales being halted.

The interruption led the family to seek technical assistance to bring its facilities into compliance with sanitary requirements. Support was provided by Senar/MS through its technical assistance programmes for agro-industry and dairy cattle. Under the guidance of technician Emylia Gabriella, the property revised its production procedures, including cattle milking, sweet preparation, packaging, cost management, food handling and hygiene practices.

The changes resulted in the award of five ARTE seals. The certification permits Agroindústria Pé da Serra to market its sweets across Brazil rather than limiting sales to the local market in Bonito. The property now produces up to 100 litres of milk and 70 pots of sweets per day, maintaining both activities as a family business.