Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Am I Blue

About the move to be green:

Tequila is key to a great margarita, but many farmers in Mexico are now ditching the blue agave plant used to make the liquor to cash in on corn and the demand for alternative fuel — and some say that could lead to the great tequila shortage.

.... "I think this shift to corn is just a sign of desperation," said David Suro, who created his own premium tequila two years ago to appeal to increasing U.S. demand.

Suro timed the launch to ensure there was enough agave available.

"It's a casino business. It really is like, you walk into a casino, and you don't know if you're going to win or lose. Here, we're seeing the consequences," Suro said.

Now desperate farmers bet by turning their backs on blue agave and hope they'll hit the jackpot with corn.

Some farmers are even burning their agave fields to make way for corn.

Experts predict the shift will cause an agave shortage in a few years that will drive up the price of tequila.

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