sap prices

[P&c sugaring]

whats the going rate for buying sap these days?

[Rhino]

Thats a great question now especially in the states/areas that are having a bummer of a year. Around here BEFORE the season, i heard it was 15 cents per point, 2% = 30 cents per gallon. Now looking at this years crop, and if i was a sap seller, How i would work it out with the producer i was selling sap to would be, Have a minimum price set before the season, and a agreement that if the syrup season is poor, and bulk prices go up (which they probably will) then a percentage increase would be paid. Also if we were to sell sap from our 4500 taps, i would also expect to be paid a tad higher price then someone who is bringing 450 taps worth, works the same for big logging operations that can contract large amounts of cords to the mills. More wood = more $.

[michiganfarmer2]

I saw a chart at my leader dealer that showed sap prices tied to bulk syrup prices. That 15 cents per point is pretty close. Im thinking thie chart I saw was a penny or 3 higher. I was paying 25 cents because I didint have enough taps,couldnt make the amount of syrup I wanted, and people around here are very protective of thier maple saw logs. I thought I might be bale to change thier minds. THats an aweful lot of money, BUT I dont have to chase leaks, drive to another woods, gas another vacuum pump, and this sap is delivered right to me. A neighbor who makes a couple thousand gallons of syrup per year is paying 20 or 22 cents.

[spud]

whats the going rate for buying sap these days?

I'm getting .48 cents for 2% sap. Every area is different though ( although it should not be ). My price is 65% of bulk price based on sugar content.

Spud

[West Mountain Maple]

Spud, it's interesting how you say in your area the retail value of syrup is almost half of average, and the sap value is almost double, sound like some real business geniuses up there.

[spud]

Spud, it's interesting how you say in your area the retail value of syrup is almost half of average, and the sap value is almost double, sound like some real business geniuses up there.

What I have been saying all along is it is very hard to get much more then $35.00 a gallon in my area. I don't think you have any idea as to how many producers there are in Franklin Country and how many gallons are made. Is it possible you don't want to understand? As for selling sap the price is based on the bulk price of syrup. Producers that run top notch operations can pay this amount and still make a nice profit on buying sap. The guy I sell sap to makes a gallon of syrup with a little less then a quart of oil.

Spud

[FameFlower]

I am new to the buying and selling of sap. Next year, I am interested in processing sap for other people as we now have the equipment to do so. I am fairly sure that my customers want syrup out of the deal and would just want to pay me to process it. For pricing, do I following the price of sap or a different pricing scheme? (So charge more for lower sugar content sap than higher sugar content sap (ie. $0.40 for 1% sugar, $0.20 2% sugar content)

[Ryan Mahar]

I would recommend contacting this person. He did a nice job at Vermont's Maple seminar weekend in Middlebury this winter. I am not sure if you will be able to access the excel spreadsheet that I will try to send but you can plug in your numbers here and should get a fair value for sap. Generally 30 to 35 cents a gal is standard for 'good' sap. Looks as though I am having trouble attaching the document to this site, so go to his website and you will find anexcel spreadsheet specific to sap pricing........fun to play with but no guarentee you will get the price you want of course!!! You can contact me via personal email and I likley will be able to send you the link..........annmmahar@netscape.net


Michael Farrell
The Henry II and Mildred A. Uihlein Director of The Uihlein Forest
Cornell University Department of Natural Resources
157 Bear Cub Lane
Lake Placid, NY 12946
mlf36@cornell.edu
http://maple.dnr.cornell.edu
Office: (518) 523 9337 Cell: (518) 637 7000

[mtnmeadowmplfarm]

We buy sap and pay a percentage of what that sap is worth as a finished product (bulk price). At the end of the season we make a tally of what quantity of what grades we made that season and pay him accordingly. That way we are not paying a percentage of $2.80/ lb syrup and making $2.00/ lb product, or vise-versa.

[spud]

Thats how I get paid for my sap. I get 65% of bulk price but it is based on the quality of the syrup being made from my sap. I think that is the fairest way to get paid.

Spud

[DrTimPerkins]

....so go to his website and you will find anexcel spreadsheet specific to sap pricing........

The link to the webpage and spreadsheet for pricing sap is: http://maple.dnr.cornell.edu/sapbuying.htm

[jim finen]

Mike,
I am curious to know how you can post that the going price for sap should be .35 when everyone has varied costs when producing syrup. A person using a wood fired unit will incur much less costs than someone using oil burning. As with bulk pricing, which is based on the amount of syrup produced, shouldn't the pricing on sap also be based on production? It may be calculated the opposite of how bulk syrup is priced but it should still be taken into consideration. I am very curious to know if you are getting your information from the National numbers that were posted in Maple Digest which do not go by a specific region and include Canada. We all know the dollar is worth more in Canada and they produce more than the U.S., so is it possible those prices could be geared more towards their market?
I just think if you make a statement as you did, an explanation to back it up should be in order.

[jmayerl]

Generally 30 to 35 cents a gal is standard for 'good' sap.

[/QUOTE]

That would be a great price around here. I just got paid for a load I dropped off a month ago at a guys place. 2.1%, 400 gallons, $.26/gallon.

The other guy around here pays $.10/point/ gallon.

[Greenwich Maple Man]

The price for sap is what the buyer is willing to pay. If the seller dosn't like his price than he can sell someplace else. I don't see why there is a "guide" to what somebody should pay for sap. We price our syrup how we like the same should be with sap.

[jmayerl]

The price for sap is what the buyer is willing to pay. If the seller dosn't like his price than he can sell someplace else. I don't see why there is a "guide" to what somebody should pay for sap. We price our syrup how we like the same should be with sap.

This statement I totally agree with. The guys by us know they make a very good profit, and there are only the two buyers, yet maybe 10 sellers so the market wins. I'm hoping to add a RO this year or next, then I will get the word out that I will pay a little more than everyone else so I can keep my equipment pumping out 12 hours a day and make back that investment quicker.

[syrup2nv]

We pay $0.50 a gallon for sap!