Maple syrup production down 22%
Canada is by far the world’s biggest supplier of maple syrup, the all-natural sweet treat made from the sap of certain maple trees.
The province of Quebec alone is the largest producer supplying about 72 per cent of the world output.
Maple syrup cans are seen at a sugar shack in Oka, Que., on February 10, 2017 Total syrup production in Canada for 2018 was down significantly, mostly blamed on poor weather conditions (Ryan Remiorz-CP)
Maple syrup is also produced on a commercial level in Ontario and New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, although all together they produce only about eight per cent of world supply.
The other 20 per cent comes from northeastern U.S states like Vermont and Maine.
While some operations still carry out the old method of tapping trees, modern methods use plastic lines to carry the sap to the sugar shack using a slight vacuum to draw out the sap. (Tom Steepe-CBC)
Even though Ontario’s production increased by 9 per cent, Statistics Canada, the national statistics gathering agency, has released figures showing that total production of Canadian syrup was down by 21.7 per cent to 44.5 million litres, mostly due to a large reduction in Quebec. The loss is being blamed on an unusually late snow in 2017 and unusually cold winter and spring in 2018.
Pierre Faucher operates a large and well-known commercial “Cabane a sucre” sugar shack/restaurant. Here he shows the traditional collection method of a tin bucket hanginf from a spigot tapped into the tree. A cover over the bucket keeps out bits of leaves and twigs etc from falling into the liquid. (CBC)
Nova Scotia reported an increase of 54,000 litres this year over last, but that increase may be due to Nova Scotia having poor spring conditions and low production in 2017.
Warm maple syrup us poured onto packed snow where it quickly cools into a sticky toffee that can be rolled around a small wooden stick as in the main photo with the child. (Pierre Valliere- Radio-Canada)
The syrup is collected from the trees during a short late winter, early spring period when nighttime temperatures are a few degrees below freezing, and daytime temperatures rise to just above freezing.
Quebec which keeps a huge strategic reserve of syrup, has released some of that to market to prevent wild price swings due to the production shortage this year.
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