File this under Weird Food News of the Day: There's been a major heist at the warehouse in Quebec that holds 80% (!!!) of the world's maple syrup!
Last week police in Quebec reported that thieves had stolen a "considerable" amount (i.e. millions of dollars worth) of maple syrup from a large warehouse in St-Louis-de-Blandford. The heist has turned attention to Quebec's immense maple syrup reserves which, believe it or not, hold up to 80 percent of the world's maple syrup. In fact, the one warehouse in question holds "nearly the equivalent of half the entire U.S. production of maple syrup in a year," according to Anne-Marie Granger Godbout, the executive director of The Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers. Um... wow!
The missing syrup was discovered last week when, during a routine inventory at the warehouse site in St-Louis-de-Blandford, Quebec, officials realized hundreds of 45-gallon barrels were empty. Apparently this isn't the first time maple syrup has disappeared from the warehouse. Quebec is considered "the Saudi Arabia of the syrup world," according to Business Week. 75 percent of Canadian maple syrup is directly exported to the U.S, and Godbout notes that U.S. maple syrup producers had a particularly disappointing 2012 season, which "[triggered] more demand for Canadian syrup."
Maple syrup is quite a huge commodity, and this theft is turning out to be a grave problem:
[The Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers] are the protectors of the sap, the maple barons who have an OPEC-like sway in syrup circles and represent some 13,500 producers. Along with handling bulk syrup sales and marketing, the federation is responsible for what it calls the "global strategic maple syrup reserves." Much like oil reserves, those backup supplies are supposed to protect against the vagaries of bad weather and volatile prices. Last week, everyone thought Quebec was heading into the winter with 37 million pounds in reserve. More than a quarter of that is now gone.
You're probably wondering (as I was) how the thieves managed to steal almost 10 million pounds or roughly 15,000 barrels of syrup. All that's known is that the thieves managed to tap the barrels and drain them into their own mode of transportation. What a mystery!
Read More:
• Quebec Police Investigate Theft Of Millions Of Dollars Worth Of Maple Syrup | The Huffington Post
• Maple Syrup Heist Leaves Quebec in a Sticky Mess | Business Week
• Why Does Canada Have a Strategic Maple Syrup Reserve? | The Atlantic
Related: Solving a Mystery: Why Do Maple Syrup Containers Have Tiny Handles?
(Images: Left: Shepherd's Pie Hold; Right: National Post)
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Maybe the thieves watch Breaking Bad...?
sounds like a sticky situation!
Of course if the thieves were Canadian, they probably apologized profusely after the theft .
@MLEMON34
That's what I thought of as well. Is there some black market syrup syndicate?
BREAKING NEWS****
Shady individuals setting up maple syrup stands all across the country.
It wasn't 80% of the world's supply. It was 80% of the Candian reserve.
so is this the first warning that the price of maple syrup is going to double or quadruple??? :-)
Ugh, this is a bummer. We are already paying around 10$ a 500ml can plus sales tax. The prices will jump again, because 2012 was a pretty horrible season too for maple syrup producers (the weather warmed up too fast).
Guess I should go make myself a secret stash, eh? Because that horrible, horrible maple flavored syrup imitation never cuts it for me... :(
Sounds like a Carmen Sandiego plot.
Thanks for pointing that out, Judiau. The reserve is intended to be used in case of a poor harvest. The point of it is to avoid sudden increases in price that could damage maple syrup's market in the long term. The stuff will never be cheap, but if prices were to shoot up, the producers fear consumers would find alternatives and not come back to maple syrup when the prices dropped again.