Granby, October 18, 2024 – The President of the Maple Industry Council (MIC), Louis Turenne, takes advantage of National Maple Day to highlight the industry’s contribution to marketing maple syrup and its derivatives, both here and around the world.
“Based on home-grown knowhow and expertise, we proudly represent 50 Québec companies of all sizes that bottle, process and export their maple products to over 60 countries and contribute to the economic vitality of our regions with more than 600 active and direct jobs,” says Mr. Turenne.
Almost all of the bulk maple syrup from Québec is purchased by MIC companies. That’s an annual volume of more that 155 million pounds of maple syrup. With its somewhat unpredictable and short production season—six to eight weeks—bottling and processing companies have to be rigorous in their management and diligent in their planning in order to procure, produce year-round and continue to offer quality products, in addition to maintaining and developing jobs in the regions.
Exporting more than 143 million pounds of maple products to over 60 countries around the world requires diligence on the part of processors so that they can respond to the needs of consumers and various market realities. In 2023, this represented more than $615 million in maple products. From 2018 to 2023, Canadian exports grew by 50%, a testament to the industry’s vitality and the importance it places on market development.
The member companies of the MIC make considerable efforts to build effective maple product marketing networks around the world. Our leading maple product consumer countries are the United States (62%), Germany (7%), France (5%), the United Kingdom (5%), Japan (4%) and Australia (4%), representing more than 85% of markets across four continents. Our industries must continue to invest in order to promote and, above all, bring the taste of maple syrup to various markets. It is also important to highlight the support of the Québec Maple Syrup Producers (QMSP) and its team dedicated to generic promotion for their contribution to enhancing the profile of maple around the world.
“Our business vision for the industry? To continuously improve the quality of maple syrup, to develop markets and profitability and to ensure the sustainability of our companies, year after year. We want to highlight the work of Québec maple producers who, like us in the industry, must maintain the best practices in maple syrup production in the sugar bush to respond to market needs,” says Mr. Turenne.
“The MIC’s vision is to establish a prosperous and sustainable industry that markets a product recognized for its quality and that contributes to the renown of Québec knowhow. Let’s take advantage of the first edition of National Maple Day, celebrated on the third Sunday in October, to showcase our industry’s contribution. Let’s be proud of our home-grown companies that are contributing to promoting a Québec product with a unique and pure flavour to the four corners of the world. Let’s be proud of ourselves!” concludes the President of the Maple Industry Council.
Watch the images of the role MIC companies play in the maple syrup industry in Québec:
