“I think the industry is in a good spot,” said Matthew Bascom of Bascom Maple Farms during a panel discussion at the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers Association annual meeting in Randolph, Vt. on Dec. 13. “Sales have been good lately.”

 

Fran Sladyk, forester for Butternut Mountain Farms of Morrisville, Vt. agreed.

 

“I think the bulk market is good,” he said.

 

Prices for bulk syrup have been hovering around the $2.30 per pound mark all year.

 

In Vermont, about 85 percent of the syrup made is sold into the bulk market, with Bascom and Butternut being among the top buyers of it. Just 20 years ago, the bulk market was only 45 percent of production.

 

Prompted by moderator Mark Isselhardt, the panel was asked about threats to the industry.

 

Sladyk seemed most concerned about invasive insects. He mentioned a new insect that has been killing off beech trees over the past couple of years.

 

“If something like that comes for maple, we could be in real trouble,” he said.

 

Bascom said that the consuming public has been concerned about micro plastics in food and packaging and said that the maple industry could come under scrutiny in the future.

 

The panel was asked about expansion and all agreed that the current market conditions warrant it.

 

“If any single state doubled production it would get absorbed and work itself through the market,” Bascom said.

 

Labor seemed to be the biggest obstacle to expanding for many.

 

“It’s getting tough to get enough good people to work on these projects,” said Joel Boutin of the Quebec maple producers.

 

In Quebec, the maple industry has added 21 million taps since 2021.

 

“If you can find the trees, that’s good. But there is no labor to tap them,” Boutin said.

 

Tree health and ticks were also a concern.

 

Extremely dry conditions all year have some people worried.

 

“Holes from last year are completely open,” Boutin said.

 

Sugar content in sap has also been down.

 

“The last two years the sugar has been half the sweetness,” Sladyk said.

 

He said that in years past, the farms he manages had a general sugar content of more than 2 percent.

 

The past two years, sugar has been at 1.6 and 1.4 percent.

 

Bascom said he was also worried about tree health.

 

“I’ve never seen the color change so early than it did this year,” he said.

 

Sladyk agreed. “August and September were as dry as I’ve ever seen it,” he said.

 

He said he was encouraged by the fact that when the trees were leafing out in June, there was a lot of rain and moisture in the ground.

 

As far as prices for the future, there was a lot of debate.

 

One audience member expressed frustration on bulk prices and angrily said that producers should be getting paid more.

 

The panel pointed to the Canadian exchange rate as the biggest factor in bulk pricing.

 

The current rate is $1.37 Canadian equals one U.S. dollar, very similar to the average rate for the past five years.