2010 Bulk prices?

[gmcooper]

I don't really see prices spiking like 2008 did. Quebec still has a lot of time to make syrup and much of what they make goes to bulk market here. We lost some market for sure with the past record prices and the economy just doesn't appear strong enough to support another record price. Bulk may creep up some but I do not see a big jump coming. Quebec is not sold out from last year as far as I have heard. If the bigger bulk producing areas like northern VT and northern ME have a good season local bulk will not go up much. I do think there will be more bulk sold earlier than some years as many need to sell to pay bills and that might cause a brief drop in bulk that Bruce may be predicting.
Just my thoughts
Mark

[KenWP]

Quebec has something like 3 million somethings in storage with Citadelle or what ever its spelling is and theres lots floating around in little places also from last year. They had maple sort of on sale come the start of the season to flog it but the prices were still rather high for most of it. With this cold weather it should extend the season even down south here a bit for most guys depending how much they can still make on their quotas for the bulk market or if its clear that they can keep for their retail markets close buy.

[findandy]

Hi Dave, Don Finen from High School. Your post is where I'm coming from. But most of my sales are retail, but I'm not betting on a drop in bulk. Of course our local buyers are doing the doom and gloom. I hear Dave Defreeze is in contact with you. Don

[KenWP]

I went today in school with the immigrant students to a Cabana de Sucre and was totally amazed. First they have 2600 taps there and theres probbably a half million trees there not tapped and probbably never will be tapped they say. Next they are not makeing syrup anymore this season. But whats weird is theres not a bud on any of the trees that are tapped and they have stopped. So if they have filled their quota already and the trees havent started to bud yet there must have been a pile of syrup made up here this year already. These are also the ugliest trees I have ever seen in my life but the lines are all full and frozen solid and there is a pile of ice on the ground at the end of the lines where they unhooked from the vacuum shack.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

With it being a school and not interested in tapping all the excess trees, I would guess they try to make so much in a year and after that, they quit. They are obviously not in it for the money or to make a lot of syrup, if so they would have added a lot more taps and gotten a much higher quota as they have raised quotas the last couple of years.

[KenWP]

The Cabana de Sucre it not a school it's a working sugar bush. Just seems weird they stop so soon. They have a 6 x 20 evaporator and don't use RO. or a preheater of anykind. Also I didn't like the taste of the syrup they sell. Had a bitter taste.

[maple flats]

Yes Findandy, Dave called me last night. My total so far this season is a disaster, around 15 gal counting what is still in the pans to be finished on 575 taps all garvity. That is changing as in another post I stated my plans to add Vacuum in one bush, go from 400 to about 550 taps there, and to add another 200+/- roadside on property owned by another farmer who has asked me if I waould like to tap. It is less tan a mile or 2 from my biggest bush. I have not seen the trees but I know the area and there are loads of mature sugars lining the roads for a few miles and none are being tapped now.
I understand you would like to get some info on my high pressure blower set up that Dave helped me with, I will look up the link and add it to this post shortly in case you haven't found it yet. It works great. Link: http://mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?t=7884

[maple flats]

I'm still sticking with my bulk price prediction. I hear way too many producers with very low crop and this will have an impact as it all works thru the supply chain.

[Acer]

Fox had a news story on last night that new england syrup production was running 50% of normal.

D

[red maples]

there was a little piece on the weather channel the other day about maine's syrup amount is very low as well.

And a friend that know some folks in ny state that normally have 1000-1200 gallons of syrup by now only have 450 gallons. And they are all buckets!!! and thats alot of buckets don't know the exact amount.