The record year of production will allow Quebec maple syrup makers to pay off their debts. The “strategic reserve” is replenished.
• Also read: Record production of 15.9 million gallons of maple syrup in Quebec in 2022
“We ended up being a lot of producers who were tired and couldn’t wait for the end! says Alan Bryson, owner of the Omple maple grove at Notre-Dame-de-la-Merci in Lanaudière.
“We worked an extra week to transport the water and bring it back to the cabin to turn it into maple syrup. We cooked for another six days because the water quality was still very good. But we’re not complaining, we’re happy! It’s good for the company’s profitability and allows us to pay off debt we accumulated during bad years,” he adds.
Last spring, trees fell like never before in Quebec’s history. Syrup production broke records at 15.9 million gallons, up 59.1% from 2021.
“On the one hand it is thanks to Mother Nature that the temperatures were appropriate. But it’s also because our industry is growing. We invest and use new technologies, more efficient production techniques,” explains Alan Bryson.
A crucial tool
This record production will replenish the famous “strategic reserve”.
Located in Laurierville, Centre-du-Québec, this gigantic warehouse is the size of five football pitches. It can hold up to 94,000 barrels of maple syrup, or about 5.1 million gallons, according to the Union des Producteurs Agricole (UPA).
“The reserve is an instrument set up by producers to ensure stable prices but also a stable supply to the market. We store the surplus and the producers agree not to be paid 100% for their current year production,” explains Isabelle Fontaine, General Manager of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers.
Strive for balance
To meet the strong demand, the Quebec Maple Syrup Producers Association had to draw on its strategic reserve last year.
“Last year 67 million pounds of maple syrup was withdrawn from the reserve out of a total of 104 million. This raised the reserve to around £37m,” says Isabelle Fontaine. But the goal is not to replenish the reserve too quickly, she says, because that would mean more late payments for producers.
“If we put too much in reserve, we reduce producers’ cash flow. So we’re trying to strike a balance,” she explains.
Bringing the strategic reserve down to £100m could happen in four or five years, she said.
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