Maple syrup is proving to be a popular product around the world. Reserve stocks in Quebec are drying up as international buyers scoop up stock, especially in the United States. In eastern Ontario, farmers say the demand and good weather have produced popularity for the product, and while most isn’t being shipped internationally, it’s doing well. At Fortune Farms, the sap will flow in the spring at the Almonte sugarbush. Owner Jamie Fortune says his family has owned the business for two generations. “My mother and father bought this farm in 1972. So, that puts us at 54 years here making syrup. I was just a little guy at that time.” Fortune says it’s been a good few seasons at the farm, and with maple syrup growing in popularity, that’s a good thing. “We’ve seen more and more producers appearing to be going into business because the bulk price of syrup is such that maple can be profitable,” he said. Producers in Quebec say stores are running dry after American customers began stocking up amid concerns of possible U.S. tariffs. While Ontario producers mainly sell locally, Fortune calls large sales in Quebec a “rising tide.” “That creates this excitement in the industry,” he said. Ray Bonenberg sits on the board of the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association and also owns Mapleside Sugarbush in Pembroke. “The Ontario producers enjoy a loyal consumer base,” Bonenberg said. Bonenberg says while Ontario producers set their own prices, Quebec’s model can help stabilize the price of maple syrup in Canada, so he watches the market closely. In Ontario, production outweighs demand, but maple syrup sales have been going up since the COVID-19 pandemic, he says. “People were staying home, cooking more, having breakfast at home,” he said. “There’s a stereotype that maple’s only breakfast. We say no, it’s to be used up three meals a day. We call it ‘put maple on the table.’” At Fortune Farms, maple syrup is sold in its stores year-round. Producers like Fortune are already getting ready to welcome back the busy spring season. “Any time maple syrup is in the news, it’s a good thing because people think about it. It’s a wonderful product. Terrific.”
