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Maine · crop watch

Maine apple crop

USDA last rated the 2020 Maine apple crop for the week ending Oct 4, when 62% was good or excellent, versus 60% at this point last year. Harvest stood at 99% complete. USDA's August forecast puts the 2018 crop at 48.0 million lb, up 22.4% from last year's final of 39.2.

Last rated week ending Oct 4, 2020

Good to excellent · last reading

62%of the crop

Share of the 2020 crop rated good or excellent for the week ending Oct 4.

–

99%

Harvested

As of Nov 1.

▲

48.0

million lb, 2018 forecast

+22.4% against last year's final crop.

Analysis

Week ending Sep 27

Maine apple crop rated 77% good to excellent

As of the week ending September 27, 2026, Maine's apple crop was rated 77% good to excellent, unchanged from the prior week, with 50% in the good category and 27% excellent. Harvest reached 50% complete, ahead of the five-year average of 45% but behind last year's 58% pace at the same point. A forecast released in August put production at 48 million pounds, up 22.4% from last year's final of 39.2 million pounds and above the two-year-ago final of 33.9 million pounds. The next USDA condition report will show whether harvest keeps closing the gap with last year's pace.

Written from USDA data and source reports

Weekly ratings

Crop condition, 2020

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
Maine apple crop condition, 20200%25%50%75%100%Week ending Jun 21: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 25%, Good 75%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 75% (5-yr avg 100%, last year 100%)Week ending Jun 28: Very poor 0%, Poor 7%, Fair 25%, Good 68%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 68% (5-yr avg 99%, last year 100%)Week ending Jul 5: Very poor 0%, Poor 11%, Fair 23%, Good 66%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 66% (5-yr avg 96%, last year 100%)Week ending Jul 12: Very poor 0%, Poor 11%, Fair 24%, Good 65%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 65% (5-yr avg 95%, last year 100%)Week ending Jul 19: Very poor 0%, Poor 7%, Fair 27%, Good 66%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 66% (5-yr avg 96%, last year 100%)Week ending Jul 26: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 25%, Good 70%, Excellent 5% — good+excellent 75% (5-yr avg 92%, last year 100%)Week ending Aug 2: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 22%, Good 78%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 78% (5-yr avg 88%, last year 100%)Week ending Aug 9: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 31%, Good 69%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 69% (5-yr avg 86%, last year 90%)Week ending Aug 16: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 25%, Good 75%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 75% (5-yr avg 83%, last year 80%)Week ending Aug 23: Very poor 0%, Poor 4%, Fair 30%, Good 66%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 66% (5-yr avg 77%, last year 60%)Week ending Aug 30: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 21%, Good 70%, Excellent 9% — good+excellent 79% (5-yr avg 87%, last year 100%)Week ending Sep 6: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 20%, Good 69%, Excellent 11% — good+excellent 80% (5-yr avg 81%, last year 67%)Week ending Sep 13: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 20%, Good 80%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 80% (5-yr avg 74%, last year 53%)Week ending Sep 20: Very poor 0%, Poor 1%, Fair 27%, Good 72%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 72% (5-yr avg 81%, last year 68%)Week ending Sep 27: Very poor 0%, Poor 1%, Fair 27%, Good 72%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 72% (5-yr avg —, last year 75%)Week ending Oct 4: Very poor 0%, Poor 1%, Fair 37%, Good 62%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 62% (5-yr avg —, last year 60%)USDA forecast — week ending Aug 16USDA forecastHarvest begins — week ending Aug 23Harvest begins−10 pts — week ending Oct 4−10 ptsJun 21Jul 5Jul 19Aug 2Aug 16Aug 30Sep 13Sep 27
Very poorPoorFairGoodExcellent5-yr avg good+excellentLast year

Latest: 62% good or excellent, week ending Oct 4. Hover a bar for the full breakdown.

Field progress

Green tip, 2020

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

Maine apple green tip, 20200%50%100%Green tip, week ending Apr 12: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Green tip, week ending Apr 19: 48% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Green tip, week ending Apr 26: 53% (5-yr avg 15%, last year 29%)Green tip, week ending May 3: 70% (5-yr avg 46%, last year 48%)Green tip, week ending May 10: 85% (5-yr avg 61%, last year 52%)Green tip, week ending May 17: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 80%)Green tip, week ending May 24: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 97%)Green tip, week ending May 31: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Apr 12Apr 19Apr 26May 3May 10May 17May 24May 31
This year5-yr avgLast year

Green tip: 100% as of May 31.

Field progress

Pink, 2020

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

Maine apple pink, 20200%50%100%Pink, week ending May 3: 10% (5-yr avg 2%, last year 0%)Pink, week ending May 10: 15% (5-yr avg 20%, last year 11%)Pink, week ending May 17: 38% (5-yr avg 44%, last year 29%)Pink, week ending May 24: 100% (5-yr avg 61%, last year 49%)Pink, week ending May 31: 100% (5-yr avg 86%, last year 87%)May 3May 10May 17May 24May 31
This year5-yr avgLast year

Pink: 100% as of May 31 (5-yr avg 86%).

Field progress

Full bloom, 2020

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

Maine apple full bloom, 20200%50%100%Full bloom, week ending May 17: 14% (5-yr avg 8%, last year 4%)Full bloom, week ending May 24: 99% (5-yr avg 36%, last year 34%)Full bloom, week ending May 31: 100% (5-yr avg 71%, last year 70%)Full bloom, week ending Jun 7: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 86%)Full bloom, week ending Jun 14: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 94%)May 17May 24May 31Jun 7Jun 14
This year5-yr avgLast year

Full bloom: 100% as of Jun 14.

Field progress

Petal fall, 2020

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

Maine apple petal fall, 20200%50%100%Petal fall, week ending May 24: 26% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Petal fall, week ending May 31: 27% (5-yr avg 37%, last year 14%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 7: 48% (5-yr avg 60%, last year 19%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 14: 52% (5-yr avg 72%, last year 35%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 21: 84% (5-yr avg —, last year 67%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 28: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 91%)May 24May 31Jun 7Jun 14Jun 21Jun 28
This year5-yr avgLast year

Petal fall: 100% as of Jun 28.

Field progress

Fruit set, 2020

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

Maine apple fruit set, 20200%50%100%Fruit set, week ending May 31: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Fruit set, week ending Jun 7: 16% (5-yr avg 37%, last year 0%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 14: 39% (5-yr avg 55%, last year 18%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 21: 72% (5-yr avg —, last year 26%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 28: 84% (5-yr avg —, last year 65%)Fruit set, week ending Jul 5: 95% (5-yr avg —, last year 91%)Fruit set, week ending Jul 12: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 99%)May 31Jun 7Jun 14Jun 21Jun 28Jul 5Jul 12
This year5-yr avgLast year

Fruit set: 100% as of Jul 12.

Field progress

Harvested, 2020

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

Maine apple harvested, 20200%50%100%Harvested, week ending Aug 2: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Harvested, week ending Aug 9: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Harvested, week ending Aug 16: 0% (5-yr avg 3%, last year 1%)Harvested, week ending Aug 23: 1% (5-yr avg 6%, last year 1%)Harvested, week ending Aug 30: 2% (5-yr avg 9%, last year 4%)Harvested, week ending Sep 6: 3% (5-yr avg 14%, last year 5%)Harvested, week ending Sep 13: 6% (5-yr avg 25%, last year 19%)Harvested, week ending Sep 20: 32% (5-yr avg 35%, last year 33%)Harvested, week ending Sep 27: 40% (5-yr avg 48%, last year 45%)Harvested, week ending Oct 4: 72% (5-yr avg 57%, last year 53%)Harvested, week ending Oct 11: 74% (5-yr avg 68%, last year 70%)Harvested, week ending Oct 18: 80% (5-yr avg 80%, last year 82%)Harvested, week ending Oct 25: 95% (5-yr avg 93%, last year 92%)Harvested, week ending Nov 1: 99% (5-yr avg —, last year 99%)Aug 2Aug 16Aug 30Sep 13Sep 27Oct 11Oct 25
This year5-yr avgLast year

Harvested: 99% as of Nov 1.

Forecast record

How the forecast moved to final

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

Maine apple crop: USDA first forecast vs final0204060million lb2010: no forecast · final 31.0 million lb20102011: no forecast · final 29.0 million lb20112012: no forecast · final 30.0 million lb20122013: no forecast · final 27.0 million lb20132014: no forecast · final 38.0 million lb20142015: no forecast · final 35.6 million lb20152016: no forecast · final 33.9 million lb20162017: no forecast · final 39.2 million lb20172018: Aug forecast 48.0 million lb · final pending2018
First forecastFinalFinal pending
Crop yearFirst forecast (million lb)FinalRevisionCrop valueShare of US
201848.0 Augustpending———
2017—39.2—$16M0.3%
2016—33.9—$16M0.3%
2015—35.6—$18M0.4%
2014—38.0—$15M0.3%
2013—27.0—$13M0.3%
2012—30.0—$15M0.3%
2011—29.0—$11M0.3%
2010—31.0—$13M0.3%

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.

Maine apple crop: fresh market vs processing010203040million lb2010: fresh 24.0, processing 5.0, not sold 0.0 million lb — 83% fresh20102011: fresh 17.0, processing 5.5, not sold 5.0 million lb — 62% fresh20112012: fresh 22.5, processing 5.0, not sold 1.0 million lb — 79% fresh20122013: fresh 22.5, processing 3.0, not sold 1.0 million lb — 85% fresh20132014: fresh 29.6, processing 7.2, not sold 0.4 million lb — 80% fresh20142015: fresh 33.1, processing 2.0, not sold 0.5 million lb — 93% fresh20152016: fresh 22.5, processing 11.2, not sold 0.2 million lb — 66% fresh20162017: fresh 27.5, processing 10.0, not sold 1.7 million lb — 70% 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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