Maple syrup industry braces for an early, quick season

The spring-like weather conditions being felt in many parts of the province arecausing some maple syrup producers to prepare for an early season.

Heather Fraser is in charge of the Moncton Maple Sugar Camp and she's already tapping trees.

Fraser said the sap has been flowing for a few days already.

"It's very early to be out tapping in the woods," she said.

"The reason we're doing that is because we're starting to get warm days and not so cold nights. And the trees are starting to respond early."

A typical syrup production season lasts about six weeks in New Brunswick.

But Fraser said it's looking like the season might be half as long this year.

"There's no snow at the root base of the trees which usually gives us a longer season," Fraser said on Monday.

"So, we're actually in here tapping without snowshoes and no snow around the trees, which means it could be a short, fast season."

The lack of snow around the trees is a big change from last winter.

Maple syrup producers had a challenge in 2015 because there was so much snow after a difficult winter.

"Now everybody [is] wanting to have a good season where we didn't have a good season last year, I think you're going to see everybody in the woods early because of the warm temperatures trying to get the most out of it that we can get," she said.

Fraser said some large scale syrup producers in the north of the province have been tapping since mid-January.