The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honorable Marie-Claude Bibeau, announced a $1.76 million investment over the next two years (2021-2023) to support the Quebec maple industry's export efforts. She made the announcement during her visit to the Québec Maple Syrup Producers Annual General Meeting.
The funds will be used to implement advertising and promotional activities in Germany and the United Kingdom, as part of the federal AgriMarketing program. A digital communications strategy for the Japanese market will also be developed, with a focus on consumer education and awareness via virtual activities.
The investment builds on a previous federal investment through the AgriMarketing Program, which helped Québec Maple Syrup Producers tap into these markets successfully between 2018 and 2021.
Over the last 30 years, the number of maple taps has tripled, resulting in a much more accessible product on the global stage. In comparison to the 2018 harvest, maple syrup production increased by 34.8 percent in 2019, reaching an all-time high of 13.2 million gallons in Canada. The province of Quebec alone accounted for 91.1 percent of the Canadian crop, or 12 million gallons.
Bibeau says maple syrup is a traditional Canadian sweet treat that the rest of the world deserves to taste. Raising consumer awareness of the delectable maple products will aid in the expansion of key export markets and sales.