Staffing shortages create sticky situation for maple producers

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - Shoppers could possibly see a slight uptick in maple syrup prices, which has nothing to do with supply or demand.

Officials say that the containers which hold the sweet stuff, are becoming harder to come by these days. Producers are having to pay more for the containers, which is a cost that could eventually be passed on to the consumer.

The shortage is due to a variety of factors, which include not having enough employees to make them.

“There is a bottle neck not just for glass,” Mark Isselhardt at the University of Vermont Extension said. “There are very few companies that actually make syrup containers. If you think about it, you are putting very hot 180, to 190-degree syrup into a plastic container. You can’t just use anything.”

Vermont leads the country by producing about 2 Million gallons of syrup each year. Officials say, this year’s crop is looking strong.

Copyright 2022 WCAX. All rights reserved.