USDA- Syrup Production Totals for 2009

[C.Wilcox]

Saw this news post on the web and thought folks might find it interesting.

WASHINGTON - Jun 10/-9 - SNS -- The 2009 U.S. maple syrup production totaled 2.33 million gallons, up 22% from 2008 and the highest on record since 1944, according to the USDA's latest crop production estimates.

The number of taps is estimated at 8.65 million, 4% above the 2008 total of 8.33 million. Yield per tap is estimated to be 0.269 gallons, up 17% from the previous season.

Vermont led all States in production with 920,000 gallons, an increase of 30% from 2008 and the highest on record since 1944. Production in Maine reached a record high 395,000 gallons, up 65% from last year. Production in New York, at 362,000 gallons, increased 10% from 2008. Production in Wisconsin, at 200,000 gallons, is the highest on record and 33% above 2008.

[KenWP]

I would like to see the final figures for up here also. Hard to track down that information here in English sometimes.

[Clan Delaney]

C.Wilcox-

Do you still have the link to the source for that story? I'm curious about the trends for states like MA, PA, and .

[C.Wilcox]

C.Wilcox-

Do you still have the link to the source for that story? I'm curious about the trends for states like MA, PA, and .

Clan,

I couldn't find the actual link that I used, but I did find the attached site which I think is actually more informational.

http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/New_England_includes/Publications/0605mpl.pdf

Corey

[gmcooper]

Thanks for the link. My copy hasn't arrived in the mail yet.

[Clan Delaney]

Looking at that data, I can't help but be concerned. What I'm seeing is that the southernmost of the maple producing states (MA, CT, OH, PA) all saw declines in both their yield per tap and overall production from 2008-2009, while the northern ones all saw increases. That could suggest that the band of favorable weather conditions for sugaring is moving farther north. But then again, the 2009 numbers for those southern states were almost all better than the numbers for 2007. How much paranoia is too much?

[KenWP]

Considering that I have trees here that haven't budded yet its been a cold spring. No wonder I made syrup untill the 20th of April this year.
They talk about global warming but you can't prove it by me this year yet. Course when I was a kid a chinnook came maybe once a winter if we were lucky. Now they are all winter long sometimes.

[3rdgen.maple]

Don't know about you guys but it has been a cold spring. I am still chucking wood in the stove at night. Global warming???????????????????????????????

[3rdgen.maple]

I would like to note that these numbers are estimates that came from surveys.. I am just curious but how many on here got that peice of paper and filled it out. I know I never got one. I am sure that there are ALOT of producers that are not reconnized by this data. 4 percent increase in taps? Could that just be a 4 percent increase in people who were surveyed? I would love to hear actual numbers. I think we all would be pretty darn amazed at the true number of taps and volume produced. 2008 price per gallon had an estimated average of 40 bucks. I find that hard to swallow. That is 10 dollars a quart. How do you make money at that. Cost of jug, fuel if you use it, Gas for the saws if you don't, fuel for the haulers, electricity just too mention a few. Without counting your time I think I might as well give up on just trying to break even if I go by those numbers. Clan I think we should start a thread with a chart on how many taps per member per state. Have a grand total at the end. It would be pretty cool to see what we here on the trader have out there. Sorry to rant but I hate surveys they give false information for everyone to feed off of. Clan could that thread be possible?

[tuckermtn]

we were contacted I believe because of our membership in the NH Maple Producers Association. We initailly were contacted by mail then they followed up with a phone call in early May...I would guess they don't contact everyone, but use some sort of a statistical model to guess...

[vermaple]

I believe that everyone that is a member of a state organization or other available mailing list is contacted by NASS. The people that do not reply to the mailing are then contacted by phone. Some years they have tried many times before they caught me on the telephone. I think that NASS uses the numbers that they are able to get. The only estimates they use are the estimates that they are given, and the production of people that don't respond or are unknown to NASS are not counted.

In other words the numbers they use are only as good as the numbers they are given.

[KenWP]

But there is also the fisherman storys they have to weed around also. So that would make out for the ones that they get no response for also.
There is also the ones that don't want to say just how much they sell under the table to say becasue Big brother might be listening.