Numbers from USDA including breakdown of most states

[Ultimatetreehugger]

https://www.wcax.com/content/news/US...511379931.html

[fred]

Sure Vermont produced 2/3 of the us crop. GIVE ME A BREAK. How can they even print that in good conscience?

Ohio made more than 300,000 gallons. The 4 biggest bulk buyers in Ohio bought over 100,000 gallons alone. plus EVERY producer in Ohio has an excellent outlet for retail with 12 million people living in the state. New York PA and michigan are no different.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

fred,
Those statistics are presented in good conscience because those are the numbers that NASS has to work with. Many, if not most, sugar makers do not bother to report their production. As a result USDA under estimates the size and economic importance of our industry.

[motowbrowne]

I've gotten a USDA census every year for maple syrup and then this year I didn't get one. Didn't even realize I hadn't seen one until mid May. Don't know why they took me off the list. I send them back every year.

[BAP]

So Ohio went from 90,000 gallons in the 2018 USDA report to 300,000 this year but didn’t report it to the USDA? That’s one whale of an increase.

[maple flats]

I also didn't get one. I heard they were just taking a sample and prorating from that. Seems like a faulty way to do it, especially if the pick the wrong ones to poll.

[fred]

So Ohio went from 90,000 gallons in the 2018 USDA report to 300,000 this year but didn’t report it to the USDA? That’s one whale of an increase.

like i said the 4 biggest buyers in ohio have been buying over 100,000 gallons a year for the 30 years ive made syrup. ohio used to be recorded for being the most productive in the US . now its just not registered.

[DrTimPerkins]

There is no question that the NASS numbers are not perfect. Don't blame NASS -- they rely on people to voluntarily report. They use standard statistical approaches to estimate the actual numbers from the samples they do receive. That is not optimal, but since reporting is not mandatory, there isn't much they can do than ask, beg, and cajole people into sending them numbers. We know of at least one county in Vermont where a large operation expanded by 80,000 taps within the past few years, but the entire county has less than that reported. Eventually the numbers will get corrected.

I have been to at least 3 years of January Ohio Maple Days meetings over the past few decades. At ALL of them, I have heard Dr. Gary Graham implore those in attendance to report their numbers to NASS, because it was felt that Ohio numbers reported by NASS were far below the actual values. That message seems to have fallen on deaf ears. The result is that NASS has now proposed to drop Ohio (and other states) from their maple reporting altogether. Don't blame NASS. Don't blame OSU Extension. They did all they could do. Not enough people choose to cooperate or badger their neighbors into reporting.

Some may say "so what?" The answer to that comes down to $. If the government doesn't see a viable agricultural industry, they aren't going to fund things like ag marketing for maple, or regulatory/advisory services in those states. The Universities/Colleges in those areas are going to say "Why do maple...we don't have that industry here" and instead will choose to focus on other things to put their resources into. Energy efficiency programs will stop helping maple producers update to more energy efficient ROs and other equipment. So over a few decades, that few minutes of work you (and others in the maple industry) "voluntarily" chose not to do each year ends up costing you and your neighbors who make syrup tens of millions of $ in support. Basically....if you're not counted, you don't exist, and you don't get funding or resources because you're just not big enough to matter to the bean-counters and decision-makers.

[fred]

I agree Tim , its a struggle especially with the Amish

[fred]

on a side note ive been in the syrup business (demos,seminars, syrup and equiptment) for 30+ years and was only surveyed twice. so Im partial to say they skew their own numbers too.