The View From Zapopan

The most renown commodity produced in Jalisco state is tequila, the fermented spirit distilled from the juice of a cactus called agave.  Distillers in the town of Tequila, a few miles northwest of Guadalajara, own the trademark which prevents anyone but themselves from legally referring to their product as tequila.  Small producers cultivating agave is a trend that started in this region two years ago as dissatisfaction with corn prices increased, and the availability of water continued to fluctuate.   An attractive aspect of growing agave is the elimination of price uncertainty at harvest, as producers enter into a contractual agreement with the future purchaser before the first seedling is planted. The current market price is 8 to 15 pesos per kilogram.   Each agave plant requires seven years to mature, and yields a single harvest.  The nutritional demands of agave are such that after harvest, the field is plowed and converted to another crop, and the producer must select a new site to host his agave field.