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Tariffs on Canadian equipment and syrup could kick in tomorrow
Peter Gregg | January 31, 2025
BRISTOL, Vt.—Big maple companies are preparing for the worst, they say.
If a threatened 25 percent tariff on all Canadian goods coming into the U.S. takes effect on Feb. 1, it could impact the maple industry.
Most maple equipment is manufactured in Canada and companies there were spending the last weeks of January frantically moving supplies over the border.
“We’re stocking up to the ceiling,” said Ben Shepard, who runs the 25,000 square foot CDL Bristol location in Bristol, Vt. “We are just preparing for the unknown."
He said CDL has been moving multiple tractor trailer loads day after day from Canada, trying to get inventory into the U.S. before a tariff kicks in.
Same goes for the CDL New Hampshire location.
“We have taken in a whole year’s worth of inventory in the last couple of weeks,” said Will Streeter, who runs the store there.
Sugarmakers should expect to pay 25 percent more for their Canadian-made equipment if the tariffs go through, most experts predict.
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Goodrich installs more than 1500 new monitors
Peter Gregg | November 26, 2024
EDEN, Vt.—The big monitor installation continues in Northern Vermont.
Glenn Goodrich of Goodrich Maple Farm along with Brett and Chris Elliott, woods managers, continues a massive installation of Farmblox monitors—upwards of 1500 of them, across the expanse of Goodrich’s 160,000-tap sugarbush.
More than 300 monitors were installed last season.
[ MORE ]
Industry leaders offer market outlook for 2025
Peter Gregg | November 26, 2024
PORTLAND, Maine—Syrup is still selling, that’s the good news.
Bulk buyers and industry leaders on a discussion panel at the NAMSC annual meeting seemed optimistic about the consumer end of the marketplace.
“People are using syrup for more than just breakfast overall, they are keeping syrup as a grocery staple,” said David Ellis, of Butternut Mountain Farm in Morrisville, Vt., one of the nation’s top syrup buyers.
Ben Fisk of Ben’s Sugar Shack in Temple, N.H. agreed, but was hopeful to expand further.
“If we could get people to use just one ounce of maple syrup in their coffee every day, we’d be in good shape,” he said.
None of the panelists would reveal or predict where the bulk price might be going, but gave a broad perspective on the current maple marketplace. [ MORE ]
Will the Midwest drought impact maple production?
Les Ober, OSU Extension maple specialist | October 10, 2024
BURTON, Ohio—Climatic conditions are once again posing a possible weather threat to maple syrup producers.
Western and Southern maple producing regions of United states are now part of an Abnormally Dry to Exceptional Drought pattern.
Of major concern to maple producers, is how the drought will affect the 2025 season. Currently, there does not appear to be a threat to New York and New England, where too much rain has caused other issues. That could all change if the drought shifts north and east.
The extreme drought and exceptional drought is concentrated in West Virginia and Southeastern Ohio, and has spread to the Upper Midwest.
However, large portions of other states are experiencing Abnormally Dry to Moderately Drought conditions.
Of greater concern, would be for this drought to extend into the winter and beyond. Snow accumulation during the Winter has a major impact on recharging the subsoil and sap flow. The subsoil moisture is everything when it comes to sap production.
The greatest impact would be from an extended drought, that reoccurs over multiple years. [ MORE ]
Average retail syrup price for a gallon goes up
Peter Gregg | June 26, 2024
HARRISBURG, Pa.—The retail price for a gallon of syrup in the United States averaged $55.70 last year, up two bucks over the 2022 average retail price in the U.S.
Seven states were surveyed by the USDA on retail prices, excluding the granddaddy of syrup prices, Connecticut where some sugarmakers are rumored to fetch $100 per gallon.
In Maine, retail averages $69.80 per gallon; New Hampshire gets $64.90; New York was at $53.80; Wisconsin gets $52.00; Michigan $56.60; Pennsylvania at $47.10 and Vermont was at $57.10, according to the USDA.
[ MORE ]
Sugarmakers endorse “Krueger Sanitation Method
Michael Rechlin, Future Generations University | May 28, 2024
FRANKLIN, W.V.—Three-sixteenth tubing systems rely on gravity-initiated tension in the sap column to develop vacuum.
They provide substantial increases in sap flow without the added equipment and energy expenses of 5/16 vacuum systems.
What they do require is adequate drop to develop the pull. Over time it was discovered that 3/16 systems had their own problems.
Foremost of which is the accelerated growth of microbial mass, leading to clogging, at points of reduced diameter around fittings.
Also, with the tubes remaining filled with sap a greater volume of contaminated sap was being be drawn back into the tree during the freezing period of a sap flow cycle.
Various strategies are being developed to address these two drawbacks. The approach looked at here is a cleaning and sanitation technique we refer to as the “Krueger Sanitation method.” [ MORE ]
Big mast year reported in Northeast
Peter Gregg | May 28, 2024
UPTON, Mass.—Tom Claflin, a sugarmaker in Upton, Mass. reports an unbelievable mast year in his area.
“It’s like a carpet,” he told The Maple News.
“It’s been so wet lately and all the seeds germinated. I’ve never seen them producer like this.” C
Caflin blames the phenomenon on the lack of sugar in the sap this season.
“Every time we have a big mast year like this the sugar sucks,” he told The Maple News. [ MORE ]
CDL Corporate Group acquires Prestige Maple Products Inc.
| February 26, 2024
St-Eusèbe, Que—CDL Corporate Group has recently acquired Prestige Maple Products Inc., a family-owned company specializing in the production and distribution of processed and packaged maple products.
This acquisition, leveraging the complementary synergies of both companies, will enable Prestige Maple Products to ensure its growth and continue its development through product diversification in both domestic and international markets.
Prestige Maple Products is located in St-Eusèbe in the Bas-St-Laurent region.
Its strategic location, quality services to maple producers, processed products to consumers, its team and its specialized infrastructures in maple product processing are the reasons why Prestige Maple Products was a desired partner for CDL.
Mr. Patrick Lavoie, founder of Prestige Maple Products and former owner, explains: "CDL is a family-owned company like ours, well-known in the maple industry. The association of these two companies with common family values was therefore quite natural!"
Growing the Maple Market Potential
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