N.H. maple syrup had average year in 2020

  • In this April 1, 2020 file photo, Scott Dunn gauges the grade of maple syrup produced at the Dunn Family Maple sugar house in Buxton, Maine. Robert F. Bukaty (AP)

Monitor staff
Published: 6/12/2020 11:51:57 AM
Modified: 6/12/2020 11:51:44 AM

New Hampshire’s maple syrup industry had an average year in 2020, producing 154,000 gallons, roughly halfway between the totals of 2019 and 2018.

According to U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics, state producers put 530,000 taps in trees, slightly fewer than in past years, and produced 0.29 gallons of syrup per tap. On average it takes 40 gallons of sap to make a gallon of syrup, although that figure varies widely depending on weather and time of year.

No USDA data was available on pricing this year, but reports in mid-season indicated that wholesale prices were flat due to oversupply and a low exchange rate with Canada, which produces more than three-quarters of the world’s syrup.

As has long been the case, Vermont was by far the bigger producer of maple syrup among U.S. states, producing 2.22 million gallons – about 15 times as much as New Hampshire.

Despite syrup’s role in the image of New Hampshire, the state is a relatively minor player in the industry. New York state produced 804,000 gallons last year, five times as much as the Granite State, and Maine produced 590,000 gallons, or almost four times as much. In fact, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin all produced more syrup than New Hampshire last year – although those three states are also much larger than New Hampshire.

When it comes to maple syrup, however, all U.S. states are dwarfed by the province of Quebec, which produces more than 8 million gallons of syrup every year.

(David Brooks can be reached at 369-3313 or dbrooks@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @GraniteGeek.)
David Brooks bio photo

David Brooks is a reporter and the writer of the sci/tech column Granite Geek and blog granitegeek.org, as well as moderator of Science Cafe Concord events. After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in mathematics he became a newspaperman, working in Virginia and Tennessee before spending 28 years at the Nashua Telegraph . He joined the Monitor in 2015.

Stay informed with our free email updates
Concord Monitor Daily Headlines
Concord Monitor Breaking News
Concord Monitor Dining & Entertainment
Concord Monitor Report For America Education
Concord Monitor Report For America Health
Concord Monitor Real Estate
Concord Monitor Sports
Concord Monitor Suncook Valley
Concord Monitor Contests & Promotions
Concord Monitor Weekly Most Popular
Concord Monitor Granite Geek
Concord Monitor Monitor Marquee
Concord Monitor Hopkinton
Concord Monitor Politics
Concord Monitor MY CONCORD
Concord Monitor Franklin
 


Concord Monitor Office

1 Monitor Drive
Concord,NH 03301
603-224-5301

 

© 2021 Concord Monitor
Terms & Conditions - Privacy Policy

Customer Service


Social Media

News

View All Sections

Part of the Newspapers of New England Family