It was founded with the name Maria Anunciada sugarcane factory, between 1913 and 1914 by Egídio Camelo Pessoa da Silva, in the municipality of Quipapá.
In 1928, it passed into the ownership of the Pessoa de Mello family, initially José Joaquim de Mello Filho (Colonel Melinho), who was married to Maria Digna Pessoa de Mello, both from Nazaré da Mata, and later Fernando Pessoa de Mello and, because of his death, his sons João Carlos Lira Pessoa de Mello and Eduardo Lira Pessoa de Mello.
In 1929 the factory had the capacity for processing 200 tonnes of sugarcane and producing 3,000 litres of ethanol in 22 hours, using German-made equipment. It had a workers village with 80 houses, a 3km railway, a locomotive and 20 wagons.
In 1982 the owners bought the 13 de Maio (May 13) sugarcane factory from Fernando Antônio Torres Rodrigues, with João Carlos taking it over and Água Branca, going to Eduardo.
With a difficult terrain, the factory entered a period of financial crisis, causing the owner to partner with entrepreneur André Pereira, owner of the Ouro Preto (Black Gold) freight company.
Of the factory’s 23 plantations, 12 are leased and 11 are administrated by the company. Currently its sugar production is greatly reduced.
Recife, 6 August 2003.
(Updated on 9 September 2009).
Translated by Peter Leamy, January 2012.
sources consulted
ANDRADE, Manuel Correia de. História das usinas de açúcar de Pernambuco. Recife: FJN. Ed. Massangana, 1989. 114 p. (República, v.1)
GONÇALVES & SILVA, O assucar e o algodão em Pernambuco. Recife: [s.n.], 1929. 90 p.
MOURA, Severino. Senhores de engenho e usineiros, a nobreza de Pernambuco. Recife: Fiam, CEHM, Sindaçúcar, 1998. 320 p. (Tempo municipal, 17).
how to quote this text
ource: GASPAR, Lúcia. Água Branca (white water) Sugarcane Factory. Pesquisa Escolar Online, Joaquim Nabuco Foudation, Recife. Available at: <https://pesquisaescolar.fundaj.gov.br/en/>. Accessed: day month year. Exemple: 6 Aug. 2009.