'We're very excited about it': Ontario maple syrup producers ready to tap into funding

Ruscom Maple Farms in Lakeshore, Ont., on Feb 16, 2024. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor)

Ontario maple syrup producers are excited that the federal and provincial governments are investing more than $1 million through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership to support the productivity and growth of businesses in the province’s maple syrup sector.

The Maple Production Improvement Initiative is supporting 77 maple syrup producers with cost-shared funding to support a range of activities to enhance their operations.

“We're very excited about it,” said John Williams, Executive Director of the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association.

“It will help put our industry on better footing in Ontario.”

Williams said the province has an underutilized maple resource in Ontario.

“We have at least as many trees as Quebec does, but we're about a thirtieth or twenty fifth of their production. So we've got a lot more trees we could be tapping,” Williams explained. “This money, some of it will go directly towards helping with that kind of thing.”

The initiative supports the purchase and installation of upgraded equipment for eligible syrup producers, that will increase productivity, efficiency and growth, such as reverse osmosis or remote monitoring systems.

It also provides funding to cover a portion of woodlot management activities, including tree marking and the development of a forest plan, to assist the operation of eligible businesses.

Williams continued, “One of our problems in agriculture and in maple production as well is attracting younger and new entrants into the business.”

“So when we get support from government like this, it doesn't directly make someone want to join up and make maple syrup. But when it helps get our industry on better footing and persists into a more profitable position, then it's more likely that people will look at it and say, that's a viable option. I can actually make part of my living doing that.”

No maple syrup producers in Essex County are getting the funds, but the owner of Ruscom Maple Farms in Lakeshore, Rob Nadeu said it’s a benefit to the overall Ontario industry.

“Yeah, I think it's a great thing in Ontario,” Nadeu exclaimed.

“I know some people that have got a new reverse osmosis machine. Some of them got new filter presses that assist them in their operations completely. But for me, we still want to keep ours family traditional. So we stay with the old school style stuff. It's more work but we stay with the old school style so we can be able to teach the groups that come out and see our operation is done traditionally.”

In 2022, Ontario produced 4.5 per cent of Canada’s maple syrup or about 2.68 million litres of syrup.

Nadeu told CTV News Ontario is Canada’s third-largest maple syrup producing province, behind Quebec and New Brunswick, while Canada ranks first worldwide.

“I find it great that Ontario is finally trying to more than compete,” Nadeu said. “We're trying to catch up with the provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick and like I said, we used to be in second place. We have more trees that are tappable than the province of Quebec, which is pretty amazing that we just haven't been there. So now with these grants with the government taking notice that maple is a force to be reckoned with, it's going to help out.”

The initiative came about after discussions with businesses in the sector as part of the government's efforts to support agriculture and food industry growth.

“Ontario’s maple syrup producers work hard to produce top-quality products that are enjoyed around the world,” said Lawrence MacAulay, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “This funding will help them to increase efficiency and upgrade their equipment to keep their maple businesses growing.”

“Maple syrup is a quintessentially Canadian treat and this program is designed to expand the size, efficiency and competitiveness of Ontario’s maple syrup sector,” said Lisa Thompson, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs. “Through the Maple Production Improvement Initiative, we’re working to increase production, supporting specific growth targets laid out in our Grow Ontario Strategy.”

The list of the selected 77 producers has yet to be publicly released.