2011 Crop Report

[220 maple]

The 2011 crop report was released on 6-9-11 for Maple production in the Maple Producing Region. Vermont finished 1st as usual, they made 1.1 million gallons up from 890000 thousand gallons last year. NY 2nd at 564000 gallons, Maine 3rd at 360000 gallons, Wisconsin 4th at 155000 gallons, Pa. 5th at 128000 gallons, Ohio 6th at 125000 gallons, Michigan 7th at 123000 gallons, NH 8th at 120000 gallons, Mass. 9th at 62000 gallons and CT 10th at 17000 gallons. Every state had increased production over the 2010 report.
Total production of 2.7 million gallons compared to 2010 of 1.9 million. We have a extra 800000 gallons of Maple Syrup to sell. Will the bulk prices hold??????? To read the whole report google Crop Report, Maple Info starts on page 14

Mark 220 Maple

[red maples]

I might be an idiot. but do have a link I can't find it:emb:

[Amber Gold]

Doesn't NH usually produce ~70k gallons. If so, we had a great year!

[220 maple]

Red Maples,
you are correct. I'm having a hard time finding the same report. I did go to the USDA web site and found the same report in a txt file format. Not as easy to read but maple info starts on page 14 of the report. This info was released on the June 9 2011 report. Hope this helps.

Mark 220 Maple

[220 maple]

Amber Gold,
The USDA report shows that NH had a banner year. Their records show 2009 at 94000 gallons,2011 at 87000 gallons and 2011 at 120000 gallons. You guys have a extra 33000 gallons this year. Bruce will need to buckle down and get more Asians hooked on Maple syrup. Also I found if you can find the USDA's Economics,Statistics and Market Information System page the info is under current documents.Crop Production on 6-9-2011 pdf is easier to read.

Mark 220 Maple

[3rdgen.maple]

Heres the link for you guys. You have to scroll down a bit to find it but the info is all there from tap counts to syrup totals. http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/CropProd/CropProd-06-09-2011.txt

[220 maple]

Thanks 3rdgen.maples

I knew that someone on here would find the site location and post it on the message board.
After looking at the info, when will the prices start to erode in the bulk syrup market? 800000 gallons extra seems to me to be a lot. Hopefully it can be sold to the asians.
They have all of are money due to the trade imbalance and we need to get it back some way.
I also think that this production number is going to continue to grow because of all the new producers starting up and the expansion of the exsisting producers. When I was in Vermont for the seminars and I was driving a Leader,CDL,Dominion Grimm Rep. I was privy to conversations with other Reps. The one common statement that I heard is how recession proof Maple has been! They had a great year installing equipment and tubing systems. I have two friends that want to build tubing systems and make syrup with in a 20 mile radius of me. I need to alert them that the bulk prices may not hold. They may change their plans. Both of them was looking at the bulk market for there syrup. Even though we don't make enough syrup to be in the Maple region of the crop report the prices set for wholesale syrup by Bruce (Bascom), Dave(Butternut Mountain) and Maple Grove apply to us.

Mark 220 Maple

[red maples]

Thanks for the link...3rdgen

Yep new bar set for NH. I am sure there is even more from all the smaller producers like myself all the little guys add up too unless that avarages a number for the little guys. 100 gals here, 50 gals there, 300 over there. We'll see how the bulk market does Probably not good I am sure for what they are buying anyway bascom's turn around bulk sales I am sure will not change much. and the retail market won't change it rarely goes down.

There is an article in "The Maple News" about canada's maple export and how the USA "was" one of there biggest exports and they didn't say this but, from my opinion the push for more local Agriculture and the growth in the industry, that export has dropped off. The biggest exports are Japan and China and they are expecting an even higher demand as the global popularity/demand for natural sweeteners grows every year.

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

Well if that company in the Catskills puts out (wasn't it said 400,000 taps) that would be another 200,000 gallons of syrup on the market if all are on vacuum. So for conversational purposes let's say I don't know what I'm talking about and they do 100,000 on gravity, that's a lot more syrup plus they do it the best and most pure:lol:.

[argohauler]

Last year was pretty much a bad, and in some cases a really bad year for everyone wasn't it? So with 800,000 gallons more this year, how much beyond an average crop is it, or is it just average?

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Not sure on the US totals but NY's crop was the best in 60 years. Kicker on price is still Quebec and their production was slightly less than last year. Bruce has not dropped his prices yet and I am sure he was well aware of the crop volume long before USDA statistics came out. I worry about overproduction and its possible effects on the market but am not overly concerned about a big price drop yet.

[220 maple]

ThompsonTreeFarm,

I brought up the crop report with the guy in are area that buys a lot of bulk syrup, he felt the price would hold because of canada's production. When I told him how many gallons that was reported for Pa. he laughed, because he knows of ca. 8000 gallon that when unreported near him. That got me to thinking? Wonder what the true production number would be. Lots of Gallons for sure.

Mark 220 Maple

[maple flats]

That seems to be some people's mentailty. They don't want any statistical info to be accurate. They report low or not at all. I'll bet the under-reporting is very significant. I always report exact numbers but many don't. Many are afraid of having Uncle Sam at their sugarhouse. Guys, you can believe it when the ag statistical service says they do not share the numbers, in fact, it is prohibited by law.

[Mark]

I don't think the syrup prices will fall because of the decline in the US dollar. The Canadian syrup might get real pricey when the US dollar is worthless.

[220 maple]

Maple Flats,
You are 100% correct about the fear people have of the Goverment, I have said many times to many people I would of had a better chance finding Ben Ladin than finding out how many gallons of syrup was made by producers in Highland County, Va.. This maybe a regional thing because I have been to places where I was told without asking how many gallons they produced. The Vermonters I met in April had nothing to hide. They are proud of their syrup making talent. I have no problem with that, because I feel the same way about my syrup making! The problem with the reporting is there is not any penalties for not reporting. I guess if there was penalties that would prove the point to those that are afraid of the goverment. Double Edge Sword Syndrome

Mark 220 Maple

[Mark]

I have found that if I tell a customer how much syrup I make it will kill sales. They have a blank stare for a moment while they multiply $40 a gallon times your total production.

The previous property tax assessor came on over to ask how much syrup I made. Then went through the building writing down all the info he could find on the equipment.

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

I have found that if I tell a customer how much syrup I make it will kill sales. They have a blank stare for a moment while they multiply $40 a gallon times your total production.

. Then went through the building writing down all the info he could find on the equipment.

since the equipment can be moved it shouldn't be able to be taxed

[Mark]

Until a couple years ago maple syrup was not ag in Michigan. Gov Grandholm signed it into law as ag, before then it was manufacturing. Equipment was taxed as personal property before the new law. Now you are exempt if you sell less than $20,000 gross, above that you may have to pay personal property tax on equipment. No other farming has a gross income limit just maple.

[802maple]

I know it is illegal to share it with the IRS, but lets be realistic here, if a 10 year old can hack into the Pentagon, it wouldn't be a far stretch that Uncle Sam could do the same to one of the offices just down the street. I have always reported fully ,but don't think Uncle doesn't know.

[Mark]

They could always just change the law in the middle of the night and do what they want with the info.

[CBOYER]

translation of an article from "La terre de chez nous", newspaper of UPA federation in Quebec:

The 2011 crop of syrup has passed the 100 million pounds
Despite a late season, harvesting maple syrup in Quebec has been good in 2011.
June 14, 2011
Jean-Charles Gagné - Forest


After a year 2010 average, 2011 is in a good year with 101.9 million pounds. The result is higher by nearly 6 million pounds in the early estimates put forward at the end of April, in addition to being less than 10 million pounds from record of 2009 ..

The flow, including early May in a cold zone, helped offset a slow start.

If you dont understand something please ask me, it is a translation from french,and could have errors on terms used..
Claude

The 42.7 million of taps in production have generated an average of 2.39 pounds/tap , or 8% above the average of 15 years.

"In the Montérégie and the Laurentians, the production was as high as 2.81 pounds per tap, which is beyond expectations," said the president of the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, Serge Beaulieu. These are the official figures compiled by the Group Agéco and confirmed by the Table filière maple syrup from Quebec, on June 10.

Despite the weaker performance in the tap (2.18 lb), the Chaudière-Appalaches has still provided 36% of the crop, with some 17 million taps.

In fact, four regions (Chaudière-Appalaches, Bas-Saint-Laurent-Gaspésie, Eastern Townships and Mauricie Centre-du-Québec) produced 85% of the crop with 85% taps.

According to the Federation, the expected surplus of the crop in 2011, in combination with record harvests in 2009 (109.4 million pounds) and average in 2010 (88.1 million pounds), will ensure a stable supply for consumers and thus price stability. Recall that the scarcity recorded at the end of 2008 had inflated prices paid by consumers in 2009, the reserve Quebec syrup is then exhausted.

8th June, 60 million pounds this season had been closed. Inventories of crops, 2009 and 2010 remain at 17 million pounds.