Maple syrup flowed from Quebec trees at a record pace this spring as 120 million pounds of the sweet nectar was captured by producers.
Temperatures in March and April were ideal for Quebec maples, as light freezing at night, combined with above-zero temperatures in daytime helped the trees produce higher quantities of syrup.
Temperatures rarely rose over 12 degrees during that time, making for perfect conditions for growers.
Serge Beaulieu, president of the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, said Friday that the maples at the east end of Quebec, specifically in the Lower St. Lawrence, offered higher yields than their counterparts in the western Montérégie, which is not the case every year.
In 2012, 96 million pounds of maple syrup were harvested, well above the 58.8 million in the disastrous harvest of 2008.
The 7,300 Quebec maple syrup producers will also put some of their harvest into a strategic reserve, said Beaulieu.
-With a file from The Canadian Press
