With the Canadian softwood lumber and dairy controversies, the Canadian dollar has dropped to 73cents. Not a good sign!
With the Canadian softwood lumber and dairy controversies, the Canadian dollar has dropped to 73cents. Not a good sign!
Here is a recent informative article on the softwood tariff for anyone that is interested: http://northernwoodlands.org/editors...oftwood-tariff
Perhaps a tariff on Canadian maple syrup is on order....?
About 750 taps on High Vac.
2.5 x 8 Intens-O-Fire
Airtech 3 hp LR Pump
Springtech Elite 500 RO
14 x 24 Timber Frame SugarHouse
16 x 22 Sap Shed w/ 1500 gal. + 700 gal. tanks
www.littlehogbackfarm.com
Syrup prices are down because of exchange rate but you sure can not get the exchange rate if you purchase equipment from Canada.
Just curious what you mean by this? I'm not very familar with Syrup marketing and trade, but I am very familiar with building and selling equipment. (Farm Equipment)
With the swing in the dollar, a EG. Vac pump that sells for $3000 CAD will cost you $2190 USD today, whereas it would have cost you $2250 USD one month ago.
That being said, if the the Canadian Manufacturer is buying his materials from the US... or in USD... which many do... , they may be in a position to need to impose price increases due to the change...
For instance, I purchase a lot of product in USD... both raw materials and finished goods... From USA and China... My material costs have gone up about 4% over the course of a month.... Pretty significant. We need to pass that on, regardless of where the customer is from.
Great, I wish it did not matter where I was from also. If I walk into a Canadian dealers store I could buy equipment cheaper with US dollars but the dealer is worried he would get in trouble if the factory found out he was selling to the US. So I have to go to the US store. Same item but much more expensive, value jumped as it came across the border. If it was just the higher cost of materials the Canadians would have to pay more also. The companies want to make a little extra because of the exchange rate.
I hope the prices will be better than that for next year. People are going to stop sugaring if they only are getting paid 1.77 per pound. Some may continue sugaring but not realize they are losing money because they don't have a grasp of their true costs. Either way it seems like people are still setting up new tubing and expanding. I hope it doesn't turn like the dairy industry but i've been warned from many farmers that it will.
The syrup prices that have been set for this year are NOT because of the present exchange rate. Last year in April we were told by the PACKER that the price would drop .20cent the following year. That is just what happened. Now the Packer is saying next years price is dropping another .20 cents. Nobody knows what the exchange rate will be next year at this time but the price has already been set for next year. We could have a terrible season next year and there will still be enough syrup for all the packers needs. Canada has allowed millions more taps and USA is increasing every year as well. The market is saturated with syrup. The bigger problem I see is the dealers are going to have a hard time continuing to sell equipment at the prices they do when syrup prices keep dropping. The equipment dealers can only go so low and still make a profit. We have all watched CDL rise to the top in sales for equipment the last 5-8 years. I predict we are going to see dealers close their doors in the years to come. I don't wish for this but I believe this will happen.
Spud
Somewhere on here, I predicted the race to the bottom would eventually start up. Here we go, have a nice ride..........
4X12 A+A Evaporator
2500 taps, 1200 GPH RO
Atv w/tracks
5 generations
http://www.talbertsmaplefarm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/TalbertsMapleFarm?ref=hl
Keep on adding taps and make more syrup,,spend a bunch of money on shiney new stuff and see how fast you go broke..........just like when the bulk price of milk drops milk more cows.........syrup has become the next emu, red deer, elk, beefalo ponzi scheem,,,,,(and its heavily subsidided on both sides of the border,),,too bad,,,,,work on your retail markets and value added my friends,,,,,,there is alot bulk on the market now and there will be alot more next year as those getting into it now will come on line,,,lets not forget about the new mega producer who has not even started to flood the market with their crop from the last 2 years....500000 taps is alot of barrels,,,,,,,,,
Salisbury Sugarworks,,Parker Rowe, and friends
Salisbury, N.H.
1988 taps in 09
over 2500 on vac in 2010
no buckets in 2010
2815 taps in 2011
shooting for 3000 in 2012
4000 taps? In 2014
5x16 wood fired "Mighty Marvin"
50 cords in the shed
Old, old R.O.
Charter member Andover/Salisbury Mapleholics
http://img391.imageshack.us/img391/4...s009bx4.th.jpg