Quebec’s maple syrup producers report 211M pounds of maple syrup produced in 2022

Longueuil, Que. – Groupe AGÉCO’s annual survey of maple producers indicates they set a new production record with this year’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 vibrant demand here at home and around the world.

“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). Still, the numbers are impressive, shattering the previous harvest record of 175 million pounds, set in in 2020.

Making this bountiful harvest doubly fortuitous is the fact that sales are also at record heights. Last year saw 180.2 million pounds of maple syrup sold, a stunning increase of 22 per cent over the previous year. And Canadian exports of this symbol of culture and pride rose 20.7 per cent to 160.78 million pounds.

The maple industry is in a boom period today, but what about the future? Luc Goulet says maple producers are managing their affairs judiciously and will continue to do so: “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 Quebec to set aside public lands for future maple production.”

At QMSP’s annual general meeting on May 25, 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 thriving regional 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 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

Québec Maple Syrup Producers represents the interests of 13,300 women and men working in more than 8,000 maple enterprises. Quebec accounts for an average 72 per cent of the world’s supply of maple syrup and exports to some 60 countries.