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 Mexico's western state of Jalisco is the heartland of the
tequila industry, where 'jimadores,' the farmers of the agave
cactus from which the spirit is distilled, have worked the
fields for generations.
"I am so proud to be a jimador, we are the first in the chain of
the tequila industry, without us there is no tequila," said
Mario Perez, a 39-year-old jimador.
But the popularity of tequila has driven a worsening shortage of
the agave, while some of the younger generation shun what was
once a highly respected job.
"In the old days to be a jimador was a respected job, now you
are a simple worker," said Perez. "But it is a work of great
tradition."
Jimadores use a tool called a coa to cut the spiky leaves off
the plant, leaving a heart that looks like a giant pineapple.
"We have to cut it in a certain way so that it is perfect for
cooking. It's not an easy job, you can cut your legs," Perez
said.
In the past the agave hearts were cooked below ground, the way
mezcal is still produced in other regions of Mexico. But much of
the export tequila is now made in industrial distilleries run by
Britain's Diageo, Bacardi and Mexico's Jose Cuervo.
Most of the agave harvest is collected by workers using mules in
the rocky terrain. Jose Luis Flores, 41, inherited a team of
seven mules when his father died late last year.
"I helped my dad for 20 years and I love it," Flores said. "No
one can replace us, not even a machine. My mules can get past
any cliff or difficult path."
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He hopes to pass down his trade to his four children. "I think
I'm going to buy more mules. This is a family business now," he
said.
Each spiky-leaved plant requires seven to eight years to mature,
but demand is pushing producers to use younger plants.
Nearly 18 million blue agaves were planted in 2011 in Mexico for
harvest this year, well below an estimated demand for 42 million
to supply 140 registered companies.
Shortages are likely through 2021 until improved planting
strategies bear fruit.
"Tequila is a good business but there is so much demand for it.
I hope the agave lasts for a long time," said J. Cruz Reinoso,
the owner of the Don Blanco distillery, a family business he has
been building up for 30 years.
Jimadores worry machines could eventually replace them but
harvesting agave by machine would be complex, since it is
difficult to predict the size of the heart from the size of the
plant.
"This is my life and I am very proud of it. I know how to do it
well. I hope technology does not replace us, it will be
devastating," said Francisco Quiroz, a 57-year-old jimador.
Click on https://reut.rs/2I4rLFL to see a related photo essay
(Photography and reporting by Carlos Jasso, Writing by Michael
O'Boyle, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
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