The head of Quebec’s maple syrup producers’ association says the province’s strategic syrup reserve has run dry amid high demand for the product.

Québec Maple Syrup Producers President Luc Goulet says government support will be needed to ensure the industry doesn’t miss out on opportunities to grow the sector.

Maple syrup yields depend on weather conditions.

As a result, the producers’ association has established a strategic reserve to ensure prices and supply remain relatively stable.

“Our strategic reserve has been reduced to zero,” Goulet said in an interview at the release of a report on the industry’s economic benefits. That means the industry could lose customers if weather conditions are less favourable for maple sap flow, he said.

Goulet cites the stock shortages in 2007 and 2008 as an example.

Quebec maple syrup is gaining market share abroad, according to the president of the Maple Industry Council, which represents authorized buyers.

Louis Turenne notes that exports increased by 9.34 per cent in 2024 compared to the previous year. The pace accelerated in 2025 with a 15.8 per cent increase as the threat of new tariffs loomed over the industry.

In 2026, exports rose at a slower rate — 2.48 per cent from January through August compared to the same period the previous year. “It’s always hard to beat an exceptional year,” Turenne said.

Currently, nearly 65 per cent of maple syrup exports go to the United States “We’ve made significant progress in diversifying our markets in recent years. Twenty years ago, that figure was 80 per cent,” Turenne said.

“But we need to accelerate the opening and development of European, Australian, and Asian markets to become less dependent on the U.S. market,” he said.