Quebec maple syrup harvest hits record this year

Quebec Maple Syrup Producers say they set a new record for maple syrup production this year.

The group says this year's harvest is estimated at more than 175 million pounds of maple syrup for all of Quebec, an average yield of 3.59 pounds per tap.

They say an the addition of 2.3 million taps in the last two years and a chilly April help explain why this season was so successful.

The organization says the pandemic had an impact on processes and methods, but the syrup kept flowing.

Changes affecting the delivery of maple syrup barrels, farm gate sales, equipment cleaning, and travel between regions were introduced, the producers say.

The Quebec Maple Syrup Producers represents some 11,300 producers and 7,400 businesses.

"The resilience and ingenuity of our maple syrup producers during the pandemic has certainly paid off, and I couldn't be happier," Serge Beaulieu, president of the Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, said in a statement.

"This most unusual year is one we won't forget. It will go down in the history of our organization."