Latter the henequen plant provided fiber for sisal rope which made many settlers very wealthy. Finally Sansevieria was planted for its finer fiber. The demand for these fibers faded with the introduction of tape and synthetics. Xixim now has the largest managed bamboo plantation in the western hemisphere. Local Maya craftsman produce these products.
Water needed during the dry season is pumped from the natural aquifers below.
The nearby village of Opichen provides eager, bright Maya workers for the tending of the plants, harvesting of the culms, and manufacturing of the products. Ships leave about every four days. Bob Gow demonstrates the strength of a Maya line of fencing panels. The weeding crew heads out for the day's work in the bamboo groves.