Vermont still leads U.S. in maple syrup production

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Vermont remains the top maple syrup-producing state in the nation, producing 40.7 percent of the United States’ maple syrup.

According to the Northeastern Regional Field Office of the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, the northeastern region’s (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont) maple syrup production in 2015 totaled 2.96 million gallons, up 7 percent from 2014’s production of 2.78 million gallons.

Taps in northeastern region totaled 10.23 million, up 4 percent from last year and accounted for 86 percent of the nation’s maple taps.

Shorter season

Cold temperatures contributed to a shorter season of sap flow compared to last year. The earliest sap flow reported was Jan. 1 in Vermont. The latest sap flow reported to open the season was March 18 in New Hampshire. On average, the season lasted 26 days, compared with 29 days in 2014. The average season averaged four days shorter in the Northeastern Region than in 2014. The maple season lasted 4 weeks in average.

The number of taps was up in each of the states in the region, except for Maine which was unchanged from last year.

Prices and sales

The average equivalent price per gallon for maple syrup varies widely across the region depending on the percentage sold retail, wholesale, or bulk.

The 2014 all sales equivalent price per gallon in Connecticut averaged $70.90, down 10 cents; Maine averaged $31.50, down 50 cents; Massachusetts averaged $56.30, down $2.80; New Hampshire averaged $57.80, up $4.40; New York averaged $39.70, down $3.90; Pennsylvania averaged $35.10, down 50 cents; and Vermont averaged $33.00, down 40 cents.

The high percentage of bulk sales in Vermont and Maine kept average prices below the other states.

Ohio numbers

See our infographic about Ohio’s maple syrup industry.

Ohio maple syrup production in 2015 was an estimated 115,000 gallons, according to the USDA’s NASS. That’s down 15,000 gallons from 2014.

In 2014, the average price for a gallon of syrup in Ohio was $42.80, and the state’s production overall totaled $5.56 million.