Maple Producers Gather in Another Growth Year for Industry

Luc Goulet was elected as the new president of Québec Maple Syrup Producers (QMSP) today at its Annual General Meeting in Drummondville. The Bellechasse maple producer moves up from his seat as the organization’s first vice-president.

Luc Goulet, QMSP’s New President
Mr. Goulet has led the Côte-du-Sud producers’ chapter since 2014 and served as QMSP first vice-president since 2016. He was the unanimous choice to take over from Serge Beaulieu, who announced last May that 2021 would be his last year as president.

Luc Goulet thanked his fellow producers: “I have always wanted to be involved with the organization’s work and not be just a spectator to our collective decisions. The interests of all maple producers are my interests. You can count on me to hear your opinion and represent you the best way I can.” The new president paid tribute to the monumental work of his predecessor and the model he set for Québec’s 13,300 maple producers.

Serge Beaulieu became president of the Montérégie-Ouest region in 1989 and was first elected QMSP president in 2008. “I am retiring from your leadership, but I am not leaving you. After over 14 years as president, this will always be my family, with all its passionate professionals committed to quality.”

Working Toward the First Master Plan for Maple Production
Forestry, Wildlife, and Parks Minister Pierre Dufour came to the AGM to begin consultations on the eagerly anticipated master plan for maple production. The very first initiative of this nature, it comes in response to demands by producers to set aside public lands for the enormous potential of maple syrup. “We remind the government that our industry will require 200,000 hectares of forestland in order to grow, and that a new tapping standard of 24 centimetres would jeopardize 1.6 million of the 9 million taps on public land,” stated Luc Goulet. He added that maple producers have made these demands before and will continue to do so in the coming consultations.

The Boom Continues
QMSP’s new general manager Isabelle Lapointe gave the AGM an overview of the past year and an exciting glimpse forward: “With seven million taps coming onstream by 2024, the arrival of 2,000 new producers, and the construction of another major warehouse, we were ready for a big harvest. And that’s what we got! This will be a year to remember, as we are anticipating a new production record for Québec,” Lapointe confirmed. She said the official figures will be released very soon.

2022 will allow QMSP to begin replenishing the Strategic Reserve, which was greatly stretched over the past year but did its job by meeting the record demand from international markets—exports of maple products increased by nearly 20% in 2021.

The Minister of Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation du Québec, André Lamontagne, and the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, also addressed maple producers in attendance at the AGM.

Find out more about QMSP’s new president at our website.

 

About Québec Maple Syrup Producers and the Érable du Québec brand

Québec Maple Syrup Producers (QMSP) represents the interests of 13,300 men and women who proudly produce maple syrup, a symbol of Québec culture. Through investments in research, innovation, market development, and promotion, QMSP carries out its mission of developing the production and sales of Québec maple products to their full potential, at home and abroad. Accounting, on average, for 72% of the world supply of maple syrup, Québec exports this unique, tasty, and renewable product to some sixty nations.

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