Quebec’s maple syrup marketing board said it is sold out for the first time in more than a decade.
It said demand has been exceptionally strong, including some bulk buyers such as Rogers Sugar Inc. and Les Industries Bernard & Fils.
The Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, known by its French acronym PPAQ, said “at the end of next February, all the remaining syrup sold under contract will be gone.
“Our warehouses will be at zero,” said Simon Doré-Ouellet, deputy director-general for PPAQ.
The PPAQ sets minimum prices for bulk shipments, regulates production volumes through quotas, and monitors safety and quality standards.
Maple syrup that’s not sold goes to three warehouses in Quebec with a combined capacity of 133 million pounds (218,000 barrels worth $400-million if the space is all full) that can be drawn on when weather conditions yield a lower crop.
The aim is to have a greater stability in supply and pricing from season to season.
