By ANDREA LANNOM
The Register-Herald
CHARLESTON — Although the state experienced a short maple season this year, West Virginia’s maple syrup industry is experiencing continued growth.
The United States Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics recently released the results of its National Maple Survey.
This year, 9,000 gallons of maple syrup were tapped from West Virginia trees, making a 33 percent increase from last year, a news release from the state Department of Agriculture said.
“This is tremendous news for West Virginia,” Agriculture Commissioner Kent Leonhardt said in the news release. “While our state economy remains stagnant, we are seeing growth in our maple industry. The West Virginia Department of Agriculture has been working closely with the West Virginia Maple Syrup Producers Association and its members over the past year to promote the industry and help new producers develop their business plans. With more maple syrup on the market this year, we’ll continue to spread the word about our superior product.”
The state’s maple season opened Feb. 3, 2017 and wrapped up March 7, 2017. Although it was a short season because of warmer than normal winter, 61,000 taps yielded an average of 0.148 gallons of syrup.
