WHILE high gas prices have pushed U.S. President Joe Biden to tap into the U.S.’ strategic oil reserves, America’s neighbor to the north is also dealing with a shortage of another so-called “l(fā)iquid gold.” The Canadian group Quebec Maple Syrup Producers recently announced it was releasing about 50 million pounds (22.5 kilograms) of its strategic maple syrup reserves — about half of the total stockpile. Quebec produces nearly 70 percent of the world’s maple syrup, with the U.S. being its biggest client for the sweet stuff. However, this year producers weren’t able to keep up with worldwide demand, which jumped 21 percent, according to Bloomberg. Maple syrup is made from the sap from maple trees, which is traditionally harvested by installing a metal tap into the tree’s trunk. Modern sap harvesting typically involves a system of plastic tubing and vacuums to collect the sap from multiple trees to a central location where it can be refined into syrup. This is a seasonal process though, as maple sap can only be harvested in specific weather conditions. So, this year’s short and warm spring resulted in an uncharacteristically low yield for producers. “That’s why the reserve is made, to never miss maple syrup. And we won’t miss maple syrup!” said Helene Normandin, the Quebec Maple Syrup Producers’ communications director. While it’s hard to predict what next year’s crop will look like, Normandin said they were already planning for the future. “What we can figure at this moment is maybe the season here in Quebec will start a bit earlier in February, instead of March, and end earlier also,” she said. (SD-Agencies) | 