Maple syrup producers worry about how snow could impact production

RIVERVIEW, N.B. – Maple syrup producers around Moncton are worried about how the deep snow could impact production this year.

David Briggs runs Briggs Maples and says sap usually starts running in the middle of March. But he’s worried the snow building up around trees could delay their work.

“The snow acts as an insulator so it could take a little longer to get the sap flowing through the tree to get the heat to the roots and make it flow better,” he said.

He said producers need warm weather to help the sap flow.

“Unless the temperatures turn around real quick we could see a delay in the start of the producton year this time,” he said.

The snow is also making it difficult for workers to check and repair lines before sap starts to run.

Heather Fraser is a natural resource coordinator with the City of Moncton, who runs their own maple bush called the Moncton Maple Sugar Camp.

Fraser says the deep snow is making it difficult to get around trees.

“We have actually 15 miles of pipeline in our sugar woods and over 2,000 taps and those pipelines need to be walked three times before they’re ready to tap next week,” she said. “You definitely couldn’t walk in here without snowshoes.”

Her assistant, Jordon Cormier, says working through the snow has been a challenge.

“Sometimes when you’re walking around you hit patches where you fall quite deep even with the snowshoe on and sometimes it’ll knock you over,” he said.

Fraser says the snow could delay their work by about a week.

“Usually it’s a week for maintenance,” she said. “So it’ll probably be two just because of there’s so much snow.”