As suspects await trial in $18M maple syrup heist, cartel focuses on farmers who flout sales rules
Image from Shutterstock.
A massive heist of some $18 million worth of Canadian maple syrup, eventually resulting in more than two dozen arrests, put Quebec’s maple syrup cartel in the headlines in 2012.
But as the suspects accused in the criminal case of stealing from the cartel’s warehoused stockpile await trials now scheduled to start in November, the OPEC-like group still has work to do. It is policing its members and enforcing with hefty fines rules prohibiting sales of maple syrup outside the maple syrup cartel, the New York Times (reg. req.) reports in a lengthy article.
The Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers also has legal authority to limit members’ maple syrup production when there is an oversupply. The goal is a uniform price, in good years and bad, which should help farmers maintain their business and qualify for financing. Nonetheless, some balk at being told what to do.
One target was farmer Robert Hodge, who admittedly has not complied with all of the cartel’s production and sales rules. The result was 115,000 in fines in Canadian dollars and another 20,000 in legal bills. He also had all of his production seized, which left him with nothing to sell this year.
“They haven’t won yet,” he told the Times. “They’re trying awful hard, but they haven’t beat us yet.”
Related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “3 Arrested re ‘Maple Syrup Gang’ Accused of Stealing 6M Gallons From OPEC-Like Canadian Cartel”
