Record Year For N.B. Maple Syrup Industry
MONCTON — Last year was a record year for maple syrup producers in New Brunswick.
Louise Poitras, executive director of the New Brunswick Maple Syrup Association, says the industry produced about 811,000 gallons of maple syrup – a 3.2 percent jump over 2021 production levels.
“Mother Nature was very good for us. Mother Nature really dictates the season [and it] was good,” Poitras said.
The record season in 2022 helped New Brunswick maintain its place as the third-largest maple syrup producer in the world. Vermont is the second-largest producer, while Quebec produces far and away the most.
“We maintained our position as the third largest producer of maple syrup in the world. It’s a very important position because we do a lot of exports,” Poitras said.
The United States is the number one export market for New Brunswick maple syrup, gobbling up about 65 percent of all syrup produced here. Poitras added that there are many strong markets in Europe (Germany and France are good examples), as well as in Japan and Australia.
She said New Brunswick’s maple syrup industry is “even more popular this year” because producers are starting to create new and different products, like maple butter and taffy.
This year we’re seeing more innovative products, like, for example, cotton candy, or the maple kisses that were popular during the holiday,” she said.
But while the industry is strong, Poitras said producers have been waiting for years for the provincial government to open up more land for them to tap.
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“It’s a great industry and we have growth plans that we have identified… so we’re looking for the province to make an announcement,” she said. Poitras said that, while producers have been waiting for years and are hopeful for news from the government this year, she doesn’t know if such an announcement is coming, and what kind of news it will bring.
For now, however, Poitras said producers are in the middle of tapping their trees as they prepare for this year’s season. She said sap will start running around the middle of March in some parts of the province and last until the beginning of May.
For more details on the New Brunswick industry, click HERE.
Allan Dearing is a reporter with 91.9 The Bend in Moncton, a Huddle content partner.