Québec’s maple syrup producers announce that 211M pounds of syrup were produced in 2022

LONGUEUIL — Groupe AGÉCO’s annual survey of maple producers reveals they set a production record with 2022’s harvest, at 211,295,669 pounds of maple syrup. That averages to a yield of 4.26 pounds per tap in 2022. The rebound from last year’s average harvest will allow for replenishment of the Strategic Reserve while keeping up with demand.

“We benefited from excellent weather conditions this spring, but our producers can also take credit for the record. It’s not only a large quantity—it’s high-quality maple syrup made by women and men who know what they’re doing,” said Luc Goulet, the new president of Québec Maple Syrup Producers (QMSP).

Québec Maple Syrup Producers also announce that sales are also at reportedly record heights. 2021 saw 180.2 million pounds of maple syrup sold, an increase of 22% over the previous year. And Canadian exports rose 20.7% to 160.78 million pounds.

Luc Goulet says maple producers are managing their affairs during a turbulent time: “Right now, we’re focussed on restocking the Reserve, which we had to draw on to meet demand in 2021. At the same time, we continue to press the government of Québec to set aside public lands for future maple production.”

At QMSP’s annual general meeting on May 25th, the organization told Forestry Minister Pierre Dufour it estimates a need for 200,000 hectares of public forest to safeguard maple syrup’s potential as a growing industry. Producers also reiterated their opposition to the new tapping standard of 24 centimetres, which will have the effect of wiping out 1.8 million of the 9 million taps now under production on Crown land.

Groupe AGÉCO conducted its survey by phone, calling the owner/operators of 1,262 maple enterprises between April 25 and May 17, 2022. The margin of error is ±5.2%, 19 times out of 20.