Agave
Agave originates from Mexico and is used for syrups, spirits, fibre and fodder.
The agave industry is an emerging industry in Australia. There is currently no commercial cultivation in the Northern Territory.
Agave takes 6 to 8 years to grow to maturity, during that time researchers will assess the growth of the plants and collect data on their performance.
The department engaged the commercial growers interested in participating in a trial looking at the suitability of agave as a crop for the Katherine and Central Australian regions.
Participating growers were supplied with 30 free plants (approximately 20 square metres under cultivation) to trial on-farm.
This trial is being funded under the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund Natural Resource Management (NRM) Drought Resilience Program grants.
For more information about the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, go to the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry website.
Developing sustainable and diversified farming systems for the NT - Agave trials
This project is investigating the suitability of different varieties of Agave across the Northern Territory. Agave is a succulent native to the American continent, with different varieties from regions including Mexico, Arizona, Texas and California. It is drought tolerant, suited to arid and desert climates.
At maturity, Agave plants produce a sugary sap which can be distilled into spirits (including tequila), used as a syrup, or as a biofuel. As a by-product, the leaves are used in some countries as a source of feed for livestock. This project will determine which (if any) varieties suitable for commercial use can be grown in Darwin, Katherine and Central Australian conditions. Critically, it will demonstrate the capacity of the crop to be grown without irrigation. If successful, the work will allow growers the potential to diversify into crops that are less reliant on water and improve their resilience in dry years. This is the first stage of an investigation into the possibility of agave as a commercially viable crop in the Territory.
Funding body
The project, developing sustainable and diversified farming systems for the NT, received funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund to establish the trials.
Objectives
- Trial Agave tequiliana and Agave durangensis, in multiple locations across the Northern Territory, including Darwin, Katherine, Ali Curung and Alice Springs, assessing the plants in different environmental conditions.
- Enable growers to have a hands on experience with the crop on farm, through small scale grower demonstration plots.
Further information
Article- seeking expressions of interest for on-farm agave variety trials
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