In a July 6 press release, Cuomo said New York’s maple industry has grown by nearly 50 percent in the last five years.

“The maple industry is one of New York’s most important agricultural sectors, and it continues to grow year over year, infusing millions into the economy and bringing New York national recognition for its quality,” Cuomo said in a July 6 press release. The growth of the industry is an indicator of our fantastic producers, who work hard to make some of the best maple syrup in the country and the innovative and unique maple products that consumers are demanding.”

New York produced 806,000 gallons of maple syrup this year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Producers benefited from a long season, which lasted 52 days compared to 43 in 2017.

New York is typically second in production among the U.S. states every year, behind Vermont and in front of Maine. In 2018, Vermont produced 1.94 million gallons of maple syrup (down 40,000 gallons from 2017) while Maine produced 539,000 gallons (down 170,000 gallons from 2017).

New York’s maple production accounts for 19 percent of the national total. There were 2.73 million taps in production in 2018, the highest number since 1943.

Overall, maple production in the U.S. totaled 4.16 million gallons, down 3 percent from 2017.