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Quebec Maple Producers Expand Taps and Adopt Automation to Meet Rising Demand

Quebec maple producers are expanding millions of taps and adopting automation to meet rising global demand, with the provincial association authorizing seven million new taps last year.
Producers say years of investment have prompted upgrades including underground piping, internet-linked cameras, and three electric evaporators costing about $250,000 each, while Côté et fils maple farm serves as a boiling centre for new producers.
Processing uses reverse osmosis and evaporators to filter and concentrate sap from 25 pumping stations before boiling, final filtration, and canning at Côté et fils maple farm, Roxton Pond.
The provincial maple producers' association notes Quebec exports about $800 million annually and produces 72 per cent of the world's syrup, with most destined for foreign markets.
Growing demand and warming U.S. regions suggest climate change adds uncertainty, while new producer Émilie Blondeau of ShackHam Maple Farm started with about 10,000 taps in 2024.

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