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Connecticut · crop watch

Connecticut apple crop

USDA last rated the 2024 Connecticut apple crop for the week ending Sep 22, when 90% was good or excellent, 9 points above the five-year average of 81%, versus 75% at this point last year. Harvest stood at 90% complete (five-year average 82%). USDA's August forecast puts the 2018 crop at 16.4 million lb, down 44.4% from last year's final of 29.5.

Last rated week ending Sep 22, 2024

Good to excellent · last reading

90%of the crop

9 points above the five-year average for this week, and 75% a year ago.

▲

90%

Harvested

+8 points against the five-year pace of 82%.

▼

16.4

million lb, 2018 forecast

−44.4% against last year's final crop.

Analysis

Week ending Sep 27

Connecticut apple condition holds at 100% good-excellent

For the week ending September 27, 2026, Connecticut's apple crop was rated entirely good to excellent, unchanged from the prior week and continuing a run of favorable ratings through 16 weeks of the season. Harvest reached 50%, ahead of the five-year average of 47% but behind last year's 60% pace for the same week. An August forecast put the crop at 16.4 million pounds, down 44.4% from last year's final total of 29.5 million pounds, though above the 12.9 million pounds harvested two years ago. Watch for the next condition report as harvest moves past the halfway mark.

Written from USDA data and source reports

Weekly ratings

Crop condition, 2024

Bars are the full USDA rating split each week. The dashed line is the five-year average for good plus excellent; the dotted line is last year.

2026202520242023202220212020
Connecticut apple crop condition, 20240%25%50%75%100%Week ending Apr 14: Very poor 5%, Poor 5%, Fair 10%, Good 10%, Excellent 70% — good+excellent 80% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Week ending Jun 16: Very poor 5%, Poor 5%, Fair 15%, Good 55%, Excellent 20% — good+excellent 75% (5-yr avg 64%, last year 38%)Week ending Jun 23: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 10%, Good 65%, Excellent 25% — good+excellent 90% (5-yr avg 68%, last year 66%)Week ending Jun 30: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 5%, Good 70%, Excellent 25% — good+excellent 95% (5-yr avg 88%, last year 80%)Week ending Jul 7: Very poor 5%, Poor 5%, Fair 30%, Good 20%, Excellent 40% — good+excellent 60% (5-yr avg 89%, last year 65%)Week ending Jul 14: Very poor 5%, Poor 5%, Fair 30%, Good 20%, Excellent 40% — good+excellent 60% (5-yr avg 84%, last year 50%)Week ending Jul 21: Very poor 0%, Poor 5%, Fair 25%, Good 25%, Excellent 45% — good+excellent 70% (5-yr avg 86%, last year 50%)Week ending Jul 28: Very poor 0%, Poor 5%, Fair 20%, Good 30%, Excellent 45% — good+excellent 75% (5-yr avg 80%, last year 60%)Week ending Aug 4: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 20%, Good 35%, Excellent 45% — good+excellent 80% (5-yr avg 81%, last year 75%)Week ending Aug 11: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 25%, Good 50%, Excellent 25% — good+excellent 75% (5-yr avg 82%, last year 88%)Week ending Aug 18: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 20%, Good 60%, Excellent 20% — good+excellent 80% (5-yr avg 80%, last year 95%)Week ending Aug 25: Very poor 0%, Poor 5%, Fair 20%, Good 60%, Excellent 15% — good+excellent 75% (5-yr avg 77%, last year 68%)Week ending Sep 1: Very poor 0%, Poor 5%, Fair 25%, Good 55%, Excellent 15% — good+excellent 70% (5-yr avg 73%, last year 68%)Week ending Sep 8: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 15%, Good 60%, Excellent 25% — good+excellent 85% (5-yr avg 82%, last year 87%)Week ending Sep 15: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 15%, Good 57%, Excellent 28% — good+excellent 85% (5-yr avg 80%, last year 80%)Week ending Sep 22: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 10%, Good 50%, Excellent 40% — good+excellent 90% (5-yr avg 81%, last year 75%)−35 pts — week ending Jul 7−35 ptsHarvest begins — week ending Aug 11Harvest beginsUSDA forecast — week ending Aug 18USDA forecastApr 14Jun 23Jul 7Jul 21Aug 4Aug 18Sep 1Sep 15
Very poorPoorFairGoodExcellent5-yr avg good+excellentLast year

Latest: 90% good or excellent, week ending Sep 22. Hover a bar for the full breakdown.

Field progress

Green tip, 2024

This season against the five-year average pace and last year.

Connecticut apple green tip, 20240%50%100%Green tip, week ending Apr 14: 15% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Green tip, week ending Apr 21: 16% (5-yr avg 19%, last year 18%)Green tip, week ending Apr 28: 50% (5-yr avg 38%, last year 40%)Green tip, week ending May 5: 85% (5-yr avg 62%, last year 66%)Green tip, week ending May 12: 95% (5-yr avg 79%, last year 93%)Green tip, week ending May 19: 100% (5-yr avg 92%, last year 100%)Green tip, week ending May 26: 100% (5-yr avg 98%, last year 100%)Apr 14Apr 21Apr 28May 5May 12May 19May 26
This year5-yr avgLast year

Green tip: 100% as of May 26 (5-yr avg 98%).

Field progress

Pink, 2024

This season against the five-year average pace and last year.

Connecticut apple pink, 20240%50%100%Pink, week ending Apr 21: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Pink, week ending Apr 28: 7% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Pink, week ending May 5: 45% (5-yr avg 22%, last year 32%)Pink, week ending May 12: 74% (5-yr avg 46%, last year 67%)Pink, week ending May 19: 94% (5-yr avg 73%, last year 94%)Pink, week ending May 26: 98% (5-yr avg 86%, last year 100%)Apr 21Apr 28May 5May 12May 19May 26
This year5-yr avgLast year

Pink: 98% as of May 26 (5-yr avg 86%).

Field progress

Full bloom, 2024

This season against the five-year average pace and last year.

Connecticut apple full bloom, 20240%50%100%Full bloom, week ending May 12: 15% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Full bloom, week ending May 19: 45% (5-yr avg 46%, last year 67%)Full bloom, week ending May 26: 65% (5-yr avg 70%, last year 87%)Full bloom, week ending Jun 2: 97% (5-yr avg 83%, last year 97%)Full bloom, week ending Jun 9: 97% (5-yr avg —, last year —)May 12May 19May 26Jun 2Jun 9
This year5-yr avgLast year

Full bloom: 97% as of Jun 9.

Field progress

Petal fall, 2024

This season against the five-year average pace and last year.

Connecticut apple petal fall, 20240%50%100%Petal fall, week ending May 19: 10% (5-yr avg —, last year 24%)Petal fall, week ending May 26: 22% (5-yr avg 34%, last year 56%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 2: 36% (5-yr avg 53%, last year 72%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 9: 52% (5-yr avg 65%, last year 89%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 16: 88% (5-yr avg —, last year —)May 19May 26Jun 2Jun 9Jun 16
This year5-yr avgLast year

Petal fall: 88% as of Jun 16.

Field progress

Fruit set, 2024

This season against the five-year average pace and last year.

Connecticut apple fruit set, 20240%50%100%Fruit set, week ending May 26: 19% (5-yr avg —, last year 6%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 2: 19% (5-yr avg 12%, last year 20%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 9: 31% (5-yr avg 28%, last year 43%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 16: 55% (5-yr avg 55%, last year 71%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 23: 82% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Fruit set, week ending Jun 30: 90% (5-yr avg —, last year —)May 26Jun 2Jun 9Jun 16Jun 23Jun 30
This year5-yr avgLast year

Fruit set: 90% as of Jun 30.

Field progress

Harvested, 2024

This season against the five-year average pace and last year.

Connecticut apple harvested, 20240%50%100%Harvested, week ending Aug 4: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year 0%)Harvested, week ending Aug 11: 1% (5-yr avg 0%, last year 0%)Harvested, week ending Aug 18: 2% (5-yr avg 1%, last year 0%)Harvested, week ending Aug 25: 5% (5-yr avg 3%, last year 0%)Harvested, week ending Sep 1: 7% (5-yr avg 7%, last year 0%)Harvested, week ending Sep 8: 15% (5-yr avg 12%, last year 6%)Harvested, week ending Sep 15: 20% (5-yr avg 20%, last year 19%)Harvested, week ending Sep 22: 45% (5-yr avg 28%, last year 28%)Harvested, week ending Sep 29: 50% (5-yr avg 42%, last year 39%)Harvested, week ending Oct 6: 58% (5-yr avg 57%, last year 48%)Harvested, week ending Oct 13: 70% (5-yr avg 70%, last year 68%)Harvested, week ending Oct 20: 90% (5-yr avg 82%, last year 81%)Aug 4Aug 18Sep 1Sep 15Sep 29Oct 13
This year5-yr avgLast year

Harvested: 90% as of Oct 20 (5-yr avg 82%).

Forecast record

How the forecast moved to final

Each season's first USDA forecast against the final estimate, with the revision between them.

Connecticut apple crop: USDA first forecast vs final0102030million lb2010: no forecast · final 23.0 million lb20102011: no forecast · final 22.0 million lb20112012: no forecast · final 16.5 million lb20122013: no forecast · final 27.0 million lb20132014: no forecast · final 19.9 million lb20142015: no forecast · final 25.1 million lb20152016: no forecast · final 12.9 million lb20162017: no forecast · final 29.5 million lb20172018: Aug forecast 16.4 million lb · final pending2018
First forecastFinalFinal pending
Crop yearFirst forecast (million lb)FinalRevisionCrop valueShare of US
201816.4 Augustpending———
2017—29.5—$20M0.3%
2016—12.9—$12M0.1%
2015—25.1—$14M0.2%
2014—19.9—$12M0.2%
2013—27.0—$20M0.3%
2012—16.5—$10M0.2%
2011—22.0—$11M0.2%
2010—23.0—$12M0.2%

Revision is how far the final estimate moved from the season's first forecast — the practical measure of how much weight to give an early number.

Utilization

Where the crop went

Fresh market against processing and unsold volume, by crop year.

Connecticut apple crop: fresh market vs processing0102030million lb2010: fresh 18.5, processing 3.5, not sold 0.0 million lb — 84% fresh20102011: fresh 17.5, processing 2.0, not sold 0.5 million lb — 88% fresh20112012: fresh 14.5, processing 1.0, not sold 0.0 million lb — 94% fresh20122013: fresh 25.5, processing 1.0, not sold 0.0 million lb — 96% fresh20132014: fresh 19.1, processing 0.5, not sold 0.2 million lb — 96% fresh20142015: fresh 23.3, processing 1.0, not sold 0.8 million lb — 93% fresh20152016: fresh 11.7, processing 0.8, not sold 0.4 million lb — 91% fresh20162017: fresh 25.9, processing 3.4, not sold 0.2 million lb — 88% fresh2017
Fresh marketProcessingNot sold

Source: USDA NASS Crop Progress (weekly, April–November) and Crop Production reports. This product uses the NASS API but is not endorsed or certified by NASS.

Updated September 29, 2026

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