Production sector
Agave (tequila / mezcal)
Agave is a long-cycle crop: the plant spends several years in the field before the piña is ready for the jima — hand harvest — and delivery to the distillery. Most of the crop goes to tequila, made from blue agave under its denomination of origin, and to mezcal, made from espadín and other agave species; a smaller share goes to syrups, inulin and fiber. Unlike an annual crop, planting decisions here commit supply years ahead, and that shapes how the whole sector operates.
0 open jobs in this sector
Notify me when there areWhich roles it hires
In the field, growers hire agronomists and extension technicians familiar with the crop's pest and disease complex (agave weevil, fusarium and rot complexes), nursery and offshoot-selection leads, and jima foremen who run crews and schedule cutting by plant maturity. Sourcing departments employ field buyers who work with independent growers, keep plot-level traceability and verify standing inventory, because raw material is contracted years in advance. Distilleries hire master distillers for tequila and mezcal, distillation technicians, lab and quality control staff, and compliance officers who answer to the Tequila Regulatory Council or the mezcal verification body, plus bottling, export and visitor-operations roles. The jima remains manual, physically demanding work done outdoors with a cutting blade; it has not been mechanized.
Where it is concentrated
Tequila's territory is set by its denomination of origin: all of Jalisco — with Los Altos and the Tequila-Amatitán area as its cores — plus designated municipalities in Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit and Tamaulipas. Mezcal is produced in Oaxaca, Durango, Zacatecas, Guerrero, San Luis Potosí, Michoacán and Puebla, among other authorized states. Harvest and distillery work run year-round; what does have a window is planting, which concentrates in the rainy season.
Is your experience in this sector?
Create your profile and get notified when a matching job is posted.