Agave, Agave spp., when harvested can be used as a feedstock in bioethanol or hydrogen production, or distilled to produce agave spirit. The Australian industry is in its infancy, with commercial production only occurring in Queensland, although there are trial plantations across the Northern Territory, Western Australia, Queensland and Victoria. In 2019, there was 30 ha of agave planted, producing 400-900 tonnes of biomass after five years of planting. Australian agave can be grown on under-utilised, low-rainfall land to produce high-yielding crops with minimal inputs, providing a pathway to more efficient biofuel and biogas production.
New and emerging industries in their infancy often lack the public awareness and resources to assist with industry growth. This compact business case provides a concise overview of the agave industry. It provides a resource that can be used to drive awareness and engage with potential investors regarding opportunities to assist industry growth.
The compact business case is the result of stakeholder consultation across the Australian agave industry and pulls together the industry’s status, market opportunities, challenges, competition, governance and economics in one resource for the industry.