Quebec Maple Syrup Producers facts for kids
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| Abbreviation | QMSP |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1966 (59 years ago) |
| Type | Cartel |
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Region served
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Quebec |
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Membership
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7,300 maple syrup producers |
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Official language
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French, English |
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President
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Luc Goulet |
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Formerly called
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Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers |
The Quebec Maple Syrup Producers (QMSP), also known as Producteurs et productrices acéricoles du Québec (PPAQ) in French, is an organization that helps manage and sell maple syrup from Quebec, Canada. Until 2018, it was called the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers (FPAQ).
This organization is very important because, as of 2011, it produced a huge amount of maple syrup. It made 94% of all Canadian maple syrup and 77% of the world's supply! The QMSP helps with selling maple products both inside and outside Quebec.
Contents
History of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers
Maple syrup producers in the Beauce region of Quebec started working together in 1958. They wanted to protect their rights and sell their maple syrup as a group. This idea grew, and in 1966, a larger agreement was made for all of Quebec.
Since 1989, all QMSP producers have followed a special agreement to sell their products. They work together to decide on rules, plan how to sell, and set limits on how much syrup can be made. They also make sure the syrup is good quality and help promote it. The QMSP even works with a research center called ACER to study maple syrup.
In 2000, the Federation became the only group allowed to sell large amounts of maple syrup. In 2004, they updated their system for setting production limits. By 2017, they had to allow more maple trees to be tapped. This was because other countries were starting to produce more maple syrup.
Promoting Maple Syrup Around the World
The QMSP does many things to help sell maple syrup all over the world. They hold cooking contests in Quebec, and also in places like Japan and the United States.
For example, in 2010, the QMSP held events in Hiroshima, Japan. They offered free maple syrup tastings and had chefs compete to create new recipes using maple syrup. The goal was to help more people in Japan learn about and buy Quebec maple syrup. The QMSP also worked with Tokyo DisneySea, a Disney Theme Park, to promote maple syrup there.
In Quebec, they also work to keep the tradition of maple syrup alive for future generations. They have cooking contests that use old family recipes. Teachers are also encouraged to teach students about maple trees and how syrup is made, using a special maple syrup encyclopedia.
The International Strategic Maple Syrup Reserve
The QMSP keeps a large amount of maple syrup in a special storage area. This is called the International Strategic Reserve (ISR). Some people even call it the "OPEC of the maple syrup world." This means it works like a group that controls the price and supply of maple syrup globally.
A barrel of maple syrup is worth a lot of money, much more than a barrel of oil! The reserve is kept in large warehouses in Quebec towns like Saint-Antoine-de-Tilly and Plessisville. A third warehouse was added in Saint-Louis-de-Blandford.
History of the Reserve
The strategic reserve was started in 2000. In 2008, there wasn't much maple syrup produced for a few years. This caused the reserve to become very low, and prices went up.
In 2011, there was a huge amount of maple syrup produced. Because of this, the QMSP made the reserve even bigger by adding the third warehouse in Saint-Louis-de-Blandford.
In August 2012, a large amount of syrup was stolen from the Saint-Louis-de-Blandford warehouse. This event is sometimes called the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist. About a quarter of the syrup in that warehouse was taken. Over the next few months, police found some of the stolen syrup. Much of it had been sold to people who didn't know it was stolen. Police later caught people involved in the theft.
In 2021, the QMSP announced they would release a lot of maple syrup from the reserves. This was to meet the high demand for syrup around the world. The maple syrup industry had very successful years in 2019, 2020, and 2021. Experts think that more people cooking at home during the COVID-19 pandemic led to more demand for maple syrup.
