Quebec’s Maple Syrup Producers Association plans to release about half its strategic reserve inventory this year to meet export demand.
Demand for maple syrup is increasing, but the key Canadian industry has not had the best luck with crop quality since 2020. A maple syrup producer updated us on their current crop conditions as the end of the season approaches.
“Milder weather, lower sugar in the sap, warm spells—all those things—they’re pushing down on production. So, it’s unlikely that there’s going to be a bumper crop.”
Jamie Fortune, Candian Maple Syrup Producer
David Hall, a Quebec Maple Syrup Strategic Reserve board member, shared more about how unfavorable weather conditions have continued to impact flow and sugar quality.
“It was bad from Wisconsin to Nova Scotia. We just had an abnormal period for sap quality, and doesn’t produce the same level as normal. You need below-freezing [temperatures] at night and above-freezing during the day. In our case, it was more the sugar content that we were receiving, as opposed to the volume. Crossed up with that, we’ve had a 20% gain in sales.”
David Hall, Quebec Maple Syrup Strategic Reserve board member
The Board says their plans will draw down reserve inventory severely, but a necessity to maintain meeting demand for authentic maple syrup as the industry faces competition from cheaper, maple-flavored products.
This reserve is the world’s only commercial stockpile of maple syrup, with a storage capacity of about 150 million pounds.
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