Maple Syrup Harvest Increases 4%

WASHINGTON - Jun 9/00 - STAT -- The 2000 U.S. maple syrup production totaled 1.23 million gallons, up 4% from last year's production of 1.19 million gallons, according to numbers compiled by the USDA.

The preliminary value of production, at $33.3 million, is up 2% from 1999. The increase in value of production was due to higher production which more than offset a slightly lower average price.

Vermont led all States in production, with 460,000 gallons, an increase of 24% from last season. Maine was second with 250,000 gallons, up 28% from last year. New York's production, at 210,000 gallons, increased 8% from 1999. New Hampshire produced 75,000 gallons, up 23% from last year.

Maple syrup production in all other producing States was down. In the Northeast, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania production was down 46%, 11%, and 30%, respectively. Production was also down in Michigan by 40%, Ohio by 64%, and Wisconsin by 13%. Michigan and Ohio experienced the lowest levels of production on record.

Overall, number of taps was up about 1%. Notable exceptions are Ohio and Wisconsin where producers did not set as many taps because of the unusually warm weather conditions.

Temperatures were generally favorable for good sap flow and syrup production in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. In all other producing States temperatures were unfavorable. Warmer than usual temperatures affected most States by shortening the length of the season. Overall, the season lasted an average of 27 days. This compares to 31 days in 1999. Season length ranged from 20 days in Ohio to 30 days in Maine.

Sugar content of the sap was below average, requiring approximately 46 gallons of sap to produce a gallon of syrup. This is in contrast with 43 gallons of sap to produce one gallon of syrup in 1999. Most syrup was medium and dark amber colored, with very little light syrup produced.

                   Maple Syrup:  Production, Price, and Value
                     by State and United States, 1999-00 1/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              :                     :    Average Price    :      Value of
              :     Production      :     per Gallon      :     Production
     State    :-----------------------------------------------------------------
              :   1999   :   2000   :   1999   :   2000   :   1999   :   2000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              :    1,000 Gallons       ---- Dollars ---        1,000 Dollars
              :
CT            :     13          7      42.60      42.50         554        298
ME 2/         :    195        250      19.40      19.00       3,783      4,750
MA            :     44         39      38.80      40.00       1,707      1,560
MI            :     73         44      28.20      32.00       2,058      1,408
NH            :     61         75      37.40      39.00       2,281      2,925
NY            :    195        210      27.30      25.40       5,324      5,334
OH            :     95         34      30.00      26.00       2,850        884
PA            :     67         47      26.00      25.60       1,742      1,203
VT            :    370        460      29.00      29.00      10,730     13,340
WI            :     75         65      23.70      25.20       1,778      1,638
              :
US 2/         :  1,188      1,231      27.60      27.10      32,807     33,340
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1/  Price and value for 1999 are revised.  Price and value for 2000 are
    preliminary.
2/  1999 Production revised.

Maple Syrup: % of Sales by Type and State, 1998-99 1/

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

: Retail : Wholesale and Bulk

State :-----------------------------------------------------------------

: 1998 : 1999 : 1998 : 1999

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

: %

:

CT : 70 75 30 25

ME : 10 10 90 90

MA : 60 70 40 30

MI : 58 45 42 55

NH : 60 70 40 30

NY : 43 47 57 53

OH : 63 58 37 42

PA : 41 52 59 48

VT : 40 40 60 60

WI : 35 52 65 48

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1/ 1998 revised.

Maple Syrup: Price by Type of Sales and Size of Container

by State, 1998-99 1/

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Type : Gallons : 1/2 Gallons : Quarts : Pints : 1/2 Pints

and :---------------------------------------------------------------------

State : 1998 : 1999 : 1998 : 1999 : 1998 : 1999 : 1998 : 1999 : 1998 : 1999

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

: Dollars

:

Retail :

CT :34.30 36.40 19.60 20.60 11.40 12.00 7.10 7.00 4.65 4.70

ME :33.30 29.00 17.70 15.70 10.00 9.50 5.85 5.50 4.15 3.70

MA :31.90 34.20 18.60 20.00 11.20 11.40 6.30 6.50 5.05 4.15

MI :29.50 31.50 16.10 17.40 9.30 9.60 5.30 6.00 3.20 4.10

NH :30.90 33.50 17.70 19.00 10.80 11.20 6.50 6.50 3.85 4.00

NY :30.35 29.70 17.10 16.60 10.00 9.35 6.25 5.95 4.10 3.65

OH :29.70 29.00 16.80 16.60 9.45 10.10 6.20 6.30 4.25 4.10

PA :28.50 27.50 16.50 16.10 9.46 9.25 5.59 5.76 3.44 3.60

VT :29.80 30.70 17.60 18.10 10.30 10.50 6.35 6.70 4.45 4.30

WI :26.20 27.20 14.30 15.10 7.50 8.00 4.30 4.80 2.70 3.20

:

Wholesale :

CT :33.90 30.20 18.20 11.90 10.10 9.10 5.60 5.30 3.65 3.45

ME :26.10 26.80 15.90 14.50 8.55 8.00 4.90 4.70 3.60 3.65

MA :26.40 26.90 15.40 15.40 8.30 8.50 5.05 4.65 3.05 3.00

MI :29.30 26.10 14.90 15.50 7.70 8.30 4.30 4.40 2.20 3.00

NH :27.60 29.40 15.60 15.70 8.20 8.60 4.95 5.00 3.10 3.00

NY :29.80 25.50 16.40 14.80 8.10 7.90 4.85 4.70 2.95 2.05

OH :24.40 26.20 13.40 14.30 8.55 8.20 5.25 5.10 3.60 3.65

PA :25.00 26.70 14.40 14.40 8.24 8.28 4.75 5.06 2.96 3.15

VT :26.80 25.40 15.50 15.40 8.60 8.60 5.00 5.15 3.05 3.25

WI :25.60 27.10 13.60 14.90 7.20 7.90 3.90 4.60 2.40 2.80

:---------------------------------------------------------------------

: Bulk All Grades : Bulk All Grades : All Sales

:---------------------------------------------------------------------

: 1998 : 1999 : 1998 : 1999 : 1998 : 1999

:---------------------------------------------------------------------

: Dollars per Pound Dollars per Gallon Equivalent per Gallon

:

Bulk :

CT : 1.70 1.40 18.70 15.40 41.10 42.60

ME : 1.55 1.45 17.10 16.00 20.60 19.40

MA : 2.10 1.50 23.20 16.60 36.20 38.80

MI : 1.90 1.50 20.50 16.90 32.00 28.20

NH : 2.45 1.55 27.00 17.10 36.20 37.40

NY : 1.60 1.35 17.40 14.80 26.85 27.30

OH : 1.70 1.80 18.60 19.60 29.80 30.00

PA : 1.54 1.40 17.00 15.40 26.00 26.00

VT : 1.80 1.80 19.80 19.80 29.00 29.00

WI : 1.50 1.50 17.00 16.80 23.10 23.70

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1/ Prices for 1998 are revised.

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