The world is facing a tequila shortage. The heartland of the tequila industry, Mexico's western state of Jalisco, is facing a shortage of agave plants. The increasing demand for the liquor from New York to Tokyo is worrying many producers. Over the past two years, the price of the of Agave tequilana which is the blue-tinged, spikey-leaved succulent used to make the alcoholic drink, has risen six-fold. Some producers are being forced to use younger plants to compensate for the shortage of the fully grown agave, which take about seven years to mature. The younger plants produce less tequila, which means more plants have to be pulled up from an already limited supply.
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