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(WPRI) — If you love slathering your pancakes or waffles in maple syrup, you may want to take it easy.
That’s because Vermont’s maple syrup production was down 20% this year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The USDA said the nation’s top producing state of maple syrup only collected 2.05 million gallons throughout the 2023 season, as compared to last year’s historic high of 3.84 million gallons.
“It was a roller coaster year for sugar makers, but once again, they rolled with weather and produced a high-quality crop of pure Vermont maple syrup,” Vermont Secretary of Agriculture Anson Tebbetts said. “We are grateful to all of our producers for their hard work and look forward to enjoying maple for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”
Even though sugar makers didn’t generate as much maple syrup this year, last season’s value reached a record-breaking $84.5 million, which the USDA said is up 51% from the season prior and nearly half of the nation’s overall total.
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