CONCORD, NH - Vermont maple syrup producers put out 5.67 million maple taps in 2018, an increase of 5 percent from the 2017 total and the largest number of taps since 1928 according to Gary Keough, State Statistician of the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service, New England Field Office.

The 2018 Vermont maple syrup production totaled 1.94 million gallons, down 2 percent from the previous year. Yield per tap is estimated to be 0.342 gallon, down 7 percent from the previous season. Location played a significant part in individual production. Some producers were encouraged to tap earlier this season by the warmer than normal temperatures. The earliest sap flow reported was January 12 in Vermont. On average, the season lasted 52 days, compared with 46 days in 2017. Vermont's 2017 value of production totaled $53.5 million, down 10 percent from the previous season. The average price per gallon was $27.00, down $3.00 from 2016. The value of production and average price per gallon of the 2018 production will be available in June 2019.

Vermont's Ag Secretary Anson Tebbetts adds, "Vermonters are proud to lead the nation, but this is more than about quantity. This is also about quality. Vermont's sugar makers take great pride in making a natural product that's recognized around the world as the sweetest thing going."

Vermont has led the US in the number of maple taps every year since 1916 and was only out produced in 1918 and 1926. Vermont typically tapped between 5.5 and 6 million trees prior to 1935 but declined to around 1.5 million in the 1960's. Annual production prior to 1935 was typically between 1 million and 1.4 million gallons. This dropped to around 200,000 to 300,000 gallons in the 1970's. In 2003 Vermont tapped 2.12 million trees and has been steadily increasing that number to the 5.67 million in 2018. Since 2003 Vermont's maple syrup production has increased from around 500,000 gallons to almost 2 million gallons.


Posted 6/19/18