File photo dated March 10, 2016 of Louis-Robert Handfield, right, owner of Domaine Handfield sugar shack, and sugar master Raymond Pigeon sample some of the first maple sap of the season, Thursday, in Saint Marc-sur Richilieu, Que, Canada. Maple syrup producers have been forced to raid the world's only stockpile of the highly valued sweet treat, as surging worldwide demand combined with an unusually short harvest season in 2021. The Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, sometimes referred to as the "Opec of maple syrup", has released about 22m kilograms of syrup from its strategic reserve to cover a shortfall driven by a short and warm spring in 2021. Photo by Ryan Remiorz/CP/ABACAPRESS.COM