Bulk, Wholesale, and Retail Maple Syrup
There are three types of markets for maple syrup: BULK, WHOLESALE, and RETAIL. We often call our pure maple syrup "liquid gold", but is it really?
Prices of syrup can vary dramatically depending on the market and size of the container. Based on typical prices for maple syrup in Vermont, here are rough numbers for what farmers can expect to be paid in the different markets.
- $24 per gallon for BULK, based on 2025 prices. In the bulk market, farmers sell barrels of maple syrup to commercial packers who then bottle, package, and distribute to retailers. Most of the maple syrup on the grocery shelves is sold by these large commercial processors and profit margins are low because of all the middle men. The key to a viable farming business in the bulk market is to sell in high volume which is not an option for small farms. Almost 90% of the syrup produced in Vermont is sold into the bulk market and small farmers are being squeezed out.
- $40 to $60 per gallon for WHOLESALE. In this market, the farmers buy the containers and then bottle the syrup and sell it to retailers. The higher wholesale price makes it possible for the farmers to make a profit; however, there is a lot of competition in the wholesale market from other farmers, large commercial packers, and imported Canadian maple syrup. Delivering to stores is a lot of work for farmers and there are headaches associated with keeping the shelves stocked.
- $80 to $120 per gallon for RETAIL. These prices are the highest, but much more effort is required from the farmers. They need to sell at farmers’ markets and fairs, or find other in-person ways to sell directly to the customers. Online sales are one way to sell more syrup, but competition is fierce and the bulk packers and factory farms generally dominate the online landscape.
During the pandemic, online sales surged and that seems to be the new norm. However, the market is increasingly competitive and many small farms are being left behind because they are not set up for online sales. Farms are often forced to take the low bulk price for their syrup. In today's world, small farmers without an online presence are at a serious disadvantage.
This is where The Vermont Maple Farmers Collective comes in. We want to help the farmers see the full value of their maple syrup so we have combined the marketing, order processing, and delivery logistics for many small farms under one umbrella. Some of our pure Vermont syrup is bottled on the individual farms and we pay them a fair wholesale price. Some of our farmers sell bulk to our collective and they are paid 25% to 30% over the industry standard bulk rate. Our business model is unique in the industry and can have far reaching implications for small family farms in a challenging world.