Canada releases 50 million pounds from maple syrup reserve amid global shortage

[left-of-center2012]

Last edited Fri Nov 26, 2021, 07:18 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: Market Watch

Canadian maple syrup producers are tapping the country’s emergency reserve of the sticky sweet stuff as it looks to meet demand amid a global shortage. The Quebec Maple Syrup Producers — a group known as the world’s maple syrup cartel and sometimes compared to OPEC's grip on oil — announced this week that it’s pulling some 50 million pounds of syrup from its strategic reserve. That’s the most the group has released from the reserve in a single season since 2008 and amounts to about half of the entire stockpile.

Helene Normandin, spokeswoman for the group, which sets bulk syrup prices, caps production and controls the stockpile, said producers weren’t able to make enough syrup this year due to a warmer and shorter spring than expected. “That’s why the reserve is made, to never miss maple syrup. And we don’t want to miss maple syrup!” she told NPR.

Normandin told Bloomberg that demand for maple syrup surged during the pandemic as people cooked more at home. Export sales reportedly rose to 113.5 million pounds between January and September — up a whopping 21 percent from a year earlier. At the same time, the consortium of maple syrup producers in Quebec saw production fall by 24 percent due to the uncharacteristically short and warm spring season.

The strange weather hit maple syrup production particularly hard because tree sap is only able to be harvested during a short window when the temperature alternates between freezing and thawing.


Read more: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/canada-releases-50-million-pounds-from-maple-syrup-reserve-amid-global-shortage-11637952230

[Submariner]

1. I bet the late great John Candy would have made a maple syrup movie

if he was still with us. It was his style.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Canadian_Maple_Syrup_Heist

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

33. If someone else hadn't mentioned the Great Maple Syrup Heist,

I was going to.

[erronis]

2. So can I use this cheap maple syrup to replace the high-price gas in my guzzler?

This almost sounds like TheOnion.com.

I'll admit I didn't know we had a maple syrup crisis. Is there a national Czar of maple-syrup production?

I thought Aunt Jemima had cornered the market on the supermarket shelves.

(gotta admit I get plenty of the sugarbush stuff here in VT.)

[applegrove]

3. It is the Quebec syrup cartel. That "caban a sucre" to you.

[left-of-center2012]

5. "can I use this cheap maple syrup ..."

'The 2020 United States average price per gallon was $32.00'
https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Wisconsin/Publications/Crops/2021/WI-Maple-Syrup-06-21.pdf

[empedocles]

6. I opened to see if it was 'the onion'

[left-of-center2012]

7. Market Watch

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/canada-releases-50-million-pounds-from-maple-syrup-reserve-amid-global-shortage-11637952230

[raccoon]

25. If you can refine it to some form of alcohol. Nt

[milestogo]

4. "the world's maple syrup cartel"

[left-of-center2012]

8. Yep -- serious matter

"Export sales reportedly rose to 113.5 million pounds between January and September — up a whopping 21 percent from a year earlier."

[moreland01]

9. ??

Who is eating all the maple syrup and why? We haven't had syrup in our cabinet since we went low carb 6 years ago. And before that we probably only purchased syrup once every few years. Is it a staple in some culture's diets?

[cstanleytech]

17. More likely as the hotels and restaurants cut back on their orders Canada responded by cutting back

on production as Canada supplies 80% of the syrup worldwide.
Now that the hotels are opening back up as well as the restaurants demand for the syrup is increasing but it will take time for Canada to ramp production back up.

[Historic NY]

10. SWEET!!

[LudwigPastorius]

11. Hmmm...58 years old and I never knew there was a Maple Syrup Strategic Reserve!

Now, what does it take to get through to the Back Bacon Regulatory Commission to see a little relief?

[Wicked Blue]

12. Is this the Onion? nt

[left-of-center2012]

15. No, it's MarketWatch

As was posted above here.
And the link in the OP goes to MarketWatch.

[Pachamama]

51. I thought the exact same thing....but it is true...

I love Canada…

[Ouroborosnek]

13. He who controls the syrup...

...controls...breakfast

[COL Mustard]

42. Mmmmmmm....Bacon.

And pancakes...slathered in butter and maple syrup. Nothing better.

[doc03]

14. I will be concerned when they tap their Strategic Beer Reserve aye. nt

[BadGimp]

16. PROBLEM SOLVED!!

The only question now is PANCAKES or WAFFLES?

[orleans]

22. sadly there appears to be a shortage of frozen pancakes at my grocery store

i tried to get some the other day and all they had were waffles.

i have a new bottle of syrup so i bought the waffles

[pandr32]

18. We are stocked with maple syrup and maple sugar

These items are considered household staples.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

19. Not so fast. Wouldn't real Canadians measure their maple syrup in liters instead of pounds? NT

[left-of-center2012]

21. ...

Canada officially uses the metric system of measurement. ... For example, although the government records vital statistics using metric measurements, Canadians generally measure their weight in pounds, and their heights in feet and inches.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g153339-c15311/Canada:Metric.System.html

[Karma13612]

27. But why is a liquid commodity

Being reported in pounds OR kilograms??? (I.e. Weight)

Liquid is usually measured in gallons or liters (fluid volume). If they are using metric, it would be liters like their measurements for petrol/gas at the pumps.

I think that’s what the OP is trying to question.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

35. I heard a joke in Toronto not long after the conversion to the metric system.

Man comes into a lumberyard and says, "I want a piece of pine 185 cm long, 10 cm wide, and 5 cm thick."

"Certainly, sir. Hey, Joe! Customer here wants a six foot 2by4."

[Kaleva]

20. This news should stop people from making fun of Canada

[LeftInTX]

45. Lol!!!!!

[dem in texas]

23. don't like Maple syrup

Too sweet for me. My kids liked it, so kept some on hand for waffles and pancakes.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

36. Was it real maple syrup or pseudo-maple?

I mean stuff such as Aunt Jemima or Mrs Butterworth. Those tend to be sweeter than the real deal. They also don't taste the same.

[Polybius]

44. No such thing as "too sweet" :)

So what do you put on your pancakes? You can't use just butter.

[Crowman2009]

24. I can get plenty of great maple syrup from back home in Michigan.

Pretty sure the New England region and other parts of the Midwest have some great maple syrup as well.

[Karma13612]

28. It's funny really..

In Northern New York right along the Canadian border, we get real Maple syrup at our local Aldi food store chain, and it’s from Canada!

IF we want local, really local from a place with a sugaring operation, it would cost many many fold more. When I was a kid, we lived next to a dairy farm. The farmer also produced maple syrup. Each year he would give us a free gallon. Since it was so expensive he was being generous for sure.

As an adult, I would love to support local. But its so expensive. We just couldn’t afford it so do we go without? No, we get the genuine article from our great Canadian friends. I would do without if the only alternative is the fake stuff.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

38. When my father worked for an oil company as a research engineer

He once got a half-gallon can of real maple syrup from a chemical company (Chevron, I believe) with the label of the syrup producer on one side, and the chemical company label on the other. This included a chemically accurate description of maple syrup -- I'll bet some chemist had fun doing that one.

[Karma13612]

40. Lol!

[twodogsbarking]

26. Most maple syrup that is sold in stores is maple flavored sugar water.

Log Cabin
Ingredients : 'CORN SYRUP, WATER, SUGAR. CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: SALT, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, SODIUM HEXAMETAPHOSPHATE, PRESERVATIVES (SODIUM BENZOATE, SORBIC ACID), CARAMEL COLOR. PHOSPHORIC ACID.

[Karma13612]

29. Aldi food store chain

Sells the genuine article right from CANADA!!!!!

I expect the prices will probably go up now…….

[left-of-center2012]

30. Then it is not 'maple syrup'

'Maple syrup' is 100% maple syrup.

Kirkland Signature 100% Maple Syrup, Dark Amber
Signature 100 percent maple syrup dark amber
Grade A dark amber
100 percent pure

[twodogsbarking]

31. That was my point. Note the ingredients.

[left-of-center2012]

32. I noted the ingredients

That's why it's not 'maple syrup'.

[twodogsbarking]

34. Mission accomplished. Say no to high fructose.

The "B" grade of maple syrup isn't as thick but is tasty. I like it.

[SouthernDem4ever]

41. Once i tried geniuine maple syrup

I could never eat the fake syrups again.

[moriah]

48. So my grandma making simple syrup and flavoring it, then putting it in a squeeze bottle...

.... until the plastic wore out was essentially no different?

Well, to tell the truth, it tasted no different -- and even better hot from the stove.

[malthaussen]

37. I confess, I didn't know there was a Maple Syrup Reserve.

It is not what I immediately think of as a strategic resource.

-- Mal

[left-of-center2012]

39. Google tells me ...

There are also ‘strategic reserves’ of raisins, wheat, corn, etc.

[Polybius]

43. Lol

This is top priority for Canadians?

[left-of-center2012]

46. It's billions of dollars, so yeah ...

It "is top priority for Canadians"

[moriah]

47. I really love this headline, more than I should.

The idea that Canada has a maple syrup reserve, mainly. They'll save all the pancakes! Lol. (One can make "maple syrup" on their stove by boiling a cup of sugar and a cup of water, then adding maple flavoring, FYI. Granny would buy one bottle of "real" syrup then put hers in it until the plastic gave out.)

I hate that Canada had a shortage in production, and that supply chain issues are still making people panic-buy, potentially driving up the demand. That's all really bad.

--------

Also, I hope that Canada has sufficient protections on their maple syrup reserve. When I read this headline, I couldn't help thinking of of what might happen if too large of a "reserve tank" burst.

[left-of-center2012]

49. 'Maple syrup' is only maple syrup

Not "a cup of sugar and a cup of water, then adding maple flavoring".

“In the United States, maple syrup must be made almost entirely from maple sap, although small amounts of substances such as salt may be added.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maple_syrup

[moriah]

50. Of course -- real maple syrup is the real thing.

I'm just saying, if there IS a shortage and it's too expensive, well, it's a great way to make relatively cheap pancake syrup that's warm and good in small amounts, and probably better (cuz it's served hot) than the cheap stuff made with corn syrup that most people buy in plastic bottles to put on their pancakes.

[yellowcanine]

52. Hopefully not stored in old salt mines like the petroleum reserve.