New Brunswick maple syrup producers are hopeful that the snowy start to the winter will provide a much needed boost for the struggling industry.

Last year, the province's $12-million industry produced at about 40 per cent of its normal levels in the wake of a warm winter.

But this year is already looking better, said Yvon Poitras, general manager of the Maple Syrup Association of New Brunswick.

New Brunswick is the world's third-largest producer of maple syrup and produces approximately 1.8 million kilograms of the product annually.

The favourable winter weather and pending trade meetings in France, Switzerland and the United States should bode well for the province's producers, Poitras said.

The producers are hoping to move their products into new markets as part of a strategy to reverse a decline in sales.

The goal is to add more value to the industry by marketing a range of products from maple candies to barbecue sauce, he said.

The association, along with several businesses, will be taking part in the Winter Fancy Food Show in California in January.

If a few companies show an interest in in New Brunswick's maple products, the trade mission will be considered a success, Poitras said.

With files from the Canadian Press