WASHINGTON — This year’s maple season was historically longer in the United States. On average, the season lasted 42 days, compared with 37 days in 2017.
The earliest sap flow reported was Jan. 7 in Pennsylvania and the latest sap flow reported to open the season was March 1 in Minnesota.
U.S. production
The 2018 United States maple syrup production totaled 4.16 million gallons, down 3 percent from the previous year.
The number of taps is estimated at 13.7 million, up 3 percent from the 2017 total. Yield per tap is estimated to be 0.304 gallon, down 5 percent from the previous season.
The 2017 United States average price per gallon was $33, down $2 from 2016.
Value of production, at $141 million for 2017, was down 4 percent from the previous season.
Ohio
Ohio maple syrup production was estimated at 90,000 gallons for the 2018 season.
Production was up 10,000 gallons from 2017 and up 20,000 gallons from 2016. The season lasted 41 days, compared to 33 days in 2017 and 27 days in 2016.
Ohio ranked eighth nationally in maple syrup production in 2018. Taps totaled 400,000, and the syrup yield was 0.225 gallons per tap.
In 2017, Ohio producers reported 42 percent of sales as retail, 16 percent wholesale, and 42 percent bulk.
The average price per gallon in 2017 was $38.50, down $1.30 from 2016. The 2017 value of production for Ohio was $3.08 million, compared to $2.79 million in 2016.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania maple syrup production was estimated at 142,000 gallons.
Production was up 3,000 gallons from 2017 and down 1,000 gallons from 2016. The season lasted 45 days, compared to 39 days in 2017 and 31 days in 2016.
Pennsylvania ranked sixth nationally in maple syrup production in 2018. Taps totaled 670,000, and the syrup yield was 0.212 gallons per tap.
In 2017, Pennsylvania producers reported 33 percent of sales as retail, 14 percent wholesale, and 53 percent bulk.
The average price per gallon in 2017 was $34.30, up $2.90 from 2016. The 2017 value of production for Ohio was $4.77 million, compared to $4.49 million in 2016.
There were several reports from growers indicating that the weather made this season longer and more drawn out than other years noted Cheryl Turner, state statistician of the USDA, NASS, Ohio Field Office.
Maple syrup producers have some exemptions in Ohio from being licensed and regulated as food processors. Ohio wineries are licensed and regulated as food processors in Ohio in duplication of similar regulation in liquor codes. Maple syrup does have some limited history of food safety issues.
Wine has no history of food safety issues and wine kills human pathogens. For information on the unnecessary, superfluous, duplicate (of licensing and sanitation in liquor codes), and discriminatory (in favor of out of state wineries and in state ones producing grape juice) regulation of Ohio wineries by the Ohio Department of Agriculture please search for FreeTheWineries.