OTTAWA — Quebec’s maple syrup producers have tapped into a sweet $1.76-million grant from the federal government to help advertise and promote their products in the UK and Germany over the next two years.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau announced the AgriMarketing program contribution at the industry group’s May 26 annual general meeting.
“The considerable marketing efforts we have made over the past several years are paying off,” said Quebec Maple Syrup Producers President Gerge Beaulieu, representing 11,300 syrup producers and 7,400 maple product businesses in the province. “In particular, our exports to Germany, the United Kingdom and Japan have been growing steadily since 2018. We are delighted that the government recognizes all our hard work and continues to support us in expanding the markets for maple products.”
Canadian maple syrup production in 2019 increased by 34.8% compared of the 2018 harvest, reaching an all-time high of 13.2 million gallons. Of this output, Quebec alone accounted for 91.1%, or 12 million gallons, of the Canadian crop.