Maple syrup production fell everywhere last season, including in N.H.

Like all maple syrup producers, New Hampshire saw production fall sharply last winter season due to a decline in production per tree, mostly caused by a warm winter.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said New Hampshire maple syrup production in the 2020-21 season was 127,000 gallons, a decline of 18% from the previous years. The number of taps drilled into trees remained the same – about 530,000 – but the yield per tap fell by one-fifth, down to 0.24 gallons.

Yield can change for a variety of reasons but the biggest is weather. It takes sub-freezing nights and above-freezing days to make sap move through maple trees. Warming winters can reduce the number of such days each winter, cutting production.

Maine’s production was 495,000 gallons last season, down 16%, and Vermont, by far the nation’s leader, saw a production of 1.54 million gallons, down 21%. Their declines were also due to less production per tap.

The Canadian province of Quebec produces about 80% of the world’s maple syrup. Its 2020-21 production was also sharply lower following record harvests the previous two years, causing the province to tap into its maple syrup reserves to meet demand.