The recent mild temperatures in Chatham-Kent could be devastating for this year's maple syrup crop.
Don Giffin of Giffin Maple Products in Blenheim says in order to have a good harvest, the temperature needs to be consistently in the range from -5 C to 5 C.
"You have to have frost to make the sap flow and cause the carbon dioxide to be formed," says Giffin. "It just does not look good for a good production season right now."
That being said, Giffin adds there's still hope for temperatures to drop by March.
"The earth's axis changes at this time and the angle of the sun changes and causes bud growth to start at this period," he says. Giffin adds as long as there's no growth and the buds on the trees remain tight, there's a chance for a good harvest.
Looking back to last year's harvest, Giffin says it wasn't good in the Chatham-Kent area, but North America as a whole did very well.
"Maple producing areas around the St. Lawrence and down in Vermont and into Quebec -- they did extremely well, they had good production," says Giffin. "That's where 80% of the production is and they did extremely well and there's a large inventory of maple syrup."
Giffin says they'll need a solid month of cold weather in order to make the sap flow.
Related: Mild February On Tap
