The maple industry in general is a “rapidly expanding industry,” stated Mark Cannella, an Extension associate professor at the University of Vermont (UVM). In early January, Cannella led Farm Credit East’s 2025 Maple Industry Outlook, analyzing trends in the maple industry and discussing expected changes in the years to come.
Maple production isn’t limited to the U.S. but it is dominated by Canada. Our neighbors to the north have 80% – 85% of the global taps and are recognized for their impact, leadership and influence in the global maple industry. However, Cannella focused solely on U.S. maple production in this presentation.
UVM conducted a survey in 2019 to get a look into maple production distribution in the U.S. They determined that “82% of the reporting businesses [operate] under 5,000 taps” but only contribute about 20% of the maple produced in the country. Although most of the maple businesses are small-scale, the few large-scale businesses comprise the bulk of the American supply (about 80%).
When analyzing maple production in the U.S., Cannella utilized data from USDA-NASS. They tracked domestic production throughout the 2000s, showing a jump from 6 million taps in 2002 to almost 18 million in 2024. Although these numbers are most likely under-reported, they support that maple is “an expanding production unit industry, and has been for the past 20 years.”
UVM has tracked domestic maple production since the 1860s but has found it hard to compare as maple was produced as a dry sugar until the 1900s. With the data they do have, Cannella pointed out that “U.S. production is now at the level that it was over 150 years ago, which we think was the highest in history.”
There continues to be a consistent significant premium for organic syrup, convincing a lot of producers to switch to organic production for the higher profit. Maple producers are very focused on the quantity of production, but they also need to focus on the quality of their product.
Cannella noted UVM has been testing syrup they’ve purchased online for the past two years to see if sugarmakers are in compliance with basic criteria. For example, out of the golden syrups that they tested, only 22% actually met the color standard. Golden syrups naturally darken over time, so even Cannella “couldn’t confidently buy syrup online advertised as golden … and expect it’s actually gonna be golden-color when it comes out of the bottle.”
Out of the dark syrups UVM purchased and graded, 65% were in compliance with the color standard and 74% were in compliance with the flavor standard.
Cannella stressed how important it is for maple producers to recognize weather and climate changes and understand how “short-term weather and long-term trends intersect with maple.” He pointed out how “the rapid adoption of sanitation, tapping practices, high-vacuum tubing systems and all the improvements that come with that” have stabilized maple production throughout the years. In fact, the average yield across the U.S. was 0.342 gallons/tap in 2024, which is the second highest yield recorded in the past 25 years.
Although new management practices in the maple industry have helped to stabilize and increase yields, yields aren’t the only important factor in the industry. In fact, changes in climate have “the potential to absolutely devastate localized businesses,” Cannella said. It may not affect their yield immediately, but the climate can ruin tubing systems, reduce tree health, lead to pest infestation and cause service disruptions.
Cannella said we also cannot ignore the fact that in 2019, a survey conducted showed the average age of a New England maple business owner was 55. Sugarmakers need to start implementing a system, if they haven’t already, to pass the business to a younger generation, allowing it to thrive for years to come.
The U.S. maple industry strives to increase the level of participation of maple producers in surveys and yearly reports, as well as standardize the ways maple products are marketed and labeled. The industry continues to thrive but needs to start adjusting for changes in climate, population and regulations.
The question Cannella emphasized is “Can we match producer and production performance with consumer demand?”
For more information on the 2025 Maple Industry Outlook, visit farmcrediteast.com.
by Kelsi Devolve
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