Sader celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Tequila Denomination of Origin and the 30th anniversary of the Regulatory Council

With a vision towards sustainability and social vocation, agave producers, representatives of the agribusiness and state and federal authorities celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Tequila Denomination of Origin and the 30 years of the Tequila Regulatory Council.

At the ceremony, held in Guadalajara, Jalisco, the Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development, Víctor Villalobos Arámbula, highlighted the importance of redoubling efforts to develop sustainable agriculture, which restores the health of the soil and increases its capacity to sequester carbon, the more efficient use of water and the use of agrobiodiversity.

These are issues, he explained, that are part of the national agenda and that represent practices that are valued and recognized in international agri-food trade.

He pointed out that agroindustry must consider a marked social sense in its activities, in order to contribute to reducing poverty and inequality in the rural sector and advance harmonious development with social justice, accompanied by the implementation of policies and the use of public goods for equitable growth, without exclusion of anyone.

The agri-food sector has turned Mexico into an agro-export power, which represents a source of income and foreign exchange, which in the tequila sector in 2023 reported income of more than four billion dollars.

In 1974, the designation of origin of tequila was established, a fact that few imagined the global impact that this drink would have, a symbol of national identity and the growth and economic importance of this product for the country. Now it is an agribusiness on which more than 90 thousand families depend, with a presence in five states and the generation of 100 thousand direct and indirect jobs.

He indicated that the creation of the Regulatory Council united and gave strength to the links of the agave-tequila production chain, and was substantial in achieving its growth and development, with strict management of the standards, quality and prestige of this highly successful Mexican product. National and international.

The head of Agriculture is awarded the “Eagle in Flight” distinction

For their support for the development of Mexico’s tequila sector, based on its union strengthening, which has positioned tequila in second place in agri-food exports, agave producers and the agribusiness awarded the “Eagle in Flight” distinction to the Secretary of Agriculture and Rural development.

At the celebration, Villalobos Arámbula received the highest recognition granted by the tequila agroindustry, which he called to look to the future and strengthen sustainable production systems that contribute to mitigating the effects of climate change.

The governor of Jalisco, Enrique Alfaro Ramírez, was also awarded and in his speech he highlighted the commitment and work of the head of the federal Ministry of Agriculture to promote the tequila agroindustry and the entire agricultural sector of the entity.

He also highlighted the will and dedication of those in Mexico who have managed to make this drink a symbol of Mexicanness and one of the production chains with the highest levels of growth and economic benefits in the country.

Decades of tequila expansion*

The expansion of tequila is reflected in the fact that it went from producing 104 million liters and exporting 64.6 million liters, in 1995, to generating almost 600 million liters and selling 401.4 million abroad, of which 205 million were 100 tequila. percent agave, in 2023.

At the end of last year, national production of blue agave reached 2.52 million tons, with an average annual growth of 5.7 percent, accompanied by the increase in geographical areas with designation of origin.

In 2023, the export was more than 400 million liters of tequila, with an approximate value of four thousand 190 million dollars. 80 percent of this volume was sent to the US market, but countries such as Spain, Canada, the United Kingdom and Japan have also been prominent buyers in recent years.