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Mezcal industry to benefit from 100+ agave farms

US spirit producer Kimo Sabe has joined forces with the governor of the Mexican state of Zacatecas to create more than 100 agave farms, as part of a wider plan to grow the global mezcal market.

Kimo Sabe has joined forces with the governor of Zacatecas to create more than 100 agave farms

The collaborative partnership will also work with existing agave growers to expand their cultivation capabilities, generating more than 1,000 jobs in total.

The replanting of wild agave on a grand scale is key to the long-term sustainability of the mezcal industry, the producer said.

Kimo Sabe will provide “a diverse array of agave varieties” with a guarantee to purchase the agave upon harvest, “taking the risk out of the equation” for growers.

The programme, they said, allows for generational gifting, continuity, and sustainability for agave growers and their families.

“Kimo Sabe means ‘trusted friend’ and we believe that while others are advocating building walls, we are working hard with our trusted friends at Kimo Sabe to build bridges between ourselves and companies looking to make investments that will provide jobs and grow our state’s economy,” said governor Alejandro Tello.

“Mezcal is a uniquely Mexican product and for us to inspire investment in this region, with the goal of greatly expanding the production and distribution of our indigenous spirit worldwide, will create sustainable jobs and income for decades to come.”

Kimo Sabe has introduced new “state-of-the-art” craft distilling methods, allowing the company to “greatly increase” output of the spirit while maintaining “high quality” and adhering to government regulations.

Kimo Sabe Mezcal launched in 2015, and is now sold in California, Arizona, Nevada, New Jersey, Texas, Minnesota, Colorado and Tennessee, with plans to expand to Illinois, Florida and New York this coming spring, and Wisconsin and Georgia this summer.

“Our goals perfectly fit with governor Alejandro Tello’s vision for the organic expansion of Zacatecas’ economy through sustainable agriculture and manufacturing jobs creation in the state and was the driving force behind this deal,” said Jim Walsh and Ashley Walsh Kvamme, Kimo Sabe’s CEO and COO.

“Our goal is to introduce the new face of mezcal to global markets, building a financial bridge between Mexico and the rest of the world.”

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