State, nation boost maple syrup totals
MADISON
Wisconsin's maple syrup production this spring increased by 9 percent compared to a year ago while the national total jumped by 22 percent, according to a recent report by the National Agricultural Statistics Service.
In Wisconsin, the production of 235,000 gallons was up by 20,000 gallons from 2015.
This was the 2nd highest total ever in the state, trailing only the 265,000 gallons in the spring of 2013.
Wisconsin maintained its fourth place among the states for maple syrup production.
The state's maple syrup producers set a record high with 765,000 taps this spring — an increase of 5,000 from 2015. Those taps had an average yield of .307 gallons compared to .283 gallons a year ago.
Reports by Wisconsin's maple syrup producers indicated that their 2016 season began on February 7 and ended on April 22.
Compared to 2015, those dates were 21 days earlier for the start and 7 days later for the end of the season.
For individual tappers, the year's season average was 29 days compared to only 23 days in 2015.
Wisconsin producers received an average of $33.10 per gallon for the syrup they sold from their 2015 production – down from the $33.40 for 2014 and $37.40 for 2013.
Total value of the production was reported as $7.117 million for 2015, $6.68 million for 2014, and $9.911 million for 2013.
National numbers
The major increases in national production to a total of a 4.207 million gallons compared to 3.434 million in 2015 were concentrated in the top three maple syrup states — Vermont, New York, and Maine.
Vermont's production of 1.99 million gallons was up from 1.41 million in 2015.
New York was up to 707,000 gallons from 601,000 and Maine was up to 675,000 gallons this spring compared to 553,000 in 2015.
The number of taps across the country continued to increase. This year's reported total of 12.55 million was up from 11.955 million in 2015 and 11.431 million in 2014.
For the previous three years, the value of the nation's production was $125.89 million for 2015, $117.003 million for 2014, and $131.766 million for 2013.