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Maine · crop watch

Maine apple crop

USDA last rated the 2021 Maine apple crop for the week ending Oct 10, when 100% was good or excellent. Harvest stood at 96% 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 10, 2021

Good to excellent · last reading

100%of the crop

Share of the 2021 crop rated good or excellent for the week ending Oct 10.

–

96%

Harvested

As of Oct 31.

▲

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, 2021

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, 20210%25%50%75%100%Week ending Jun 13: Very poor 25%, Poor 50%, Fair 25%, Good 0%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Week ending Jun 20: Very poor 25%, Poor 50%, Fair 25%, Good 0%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 0% (5-yr avg 95%, last year 75%)Week ending Jun 27: Very poor 25%, Poor 50%, Fair 25%, Good 0%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 0% (5-yr avg 94%, last year 68%)Week ending Jul 4: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 25%, Good 75%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 75% (5-yr avg 92%, last year 66%)Week ending Jul 11: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 3%, Good 97%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 97% (5-yr avg 89%, last year 65%)Week ending Jul 18: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 25%, Good 75%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 75% (5-yr avg 91%, last year 66%)Week ending Jul 25: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 50%, Good 30%, Excellent 20% — good+excellent 50% (5-yr avg 90%, last year 75%)Week ending Aug 1: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 50%, Good 30%, Excellent 20% — good+excellent 50% (5-yr avg 85%, last year 78%)Week ending Aug 8: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 40%, Good 40%, Excellent 20% — good+excellent 60% (5-yr avg 83%, last year 69%)Week ending Aug 15: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 25%, Good 75%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 75% (5-yr avg 80%, last year 75%)Week ending Aug 22: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 20%, Good 75%, Excellent 5% — good+excellent 80% (5-yr avg 74%, last year 66%)Week ending Aug 29: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 20%, Good 75%, Excellent 5% — good+excellent 80% (5-yr avg 86%, last year 79%)Week ending Sep 5: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 38%, Excellent 62% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 82%, last year 80%)Week ending Sep 12: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 35%, Excellent 65% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 77%, last year 80%)Week ending Sep 19: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 29%, Excellent 71% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 81%, last year 72%)Week ending Sep 26: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 42%, Excellent 58% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 72%)Week ending Oct 3: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 50%, Excellent 50% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 62%)Week ending Oct 10: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 60%, Excellent 40% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg —, last year —)−25 pts — week ending Jul 25−25 ptsUSDA forecast — week ending Aug 15USDA forecastHarvest begins — week ending Sep 12Harvest beginsJun 13Jul 4Jul 25Aug 15Sep 5Sep 26
Very poorPoorFairGoodExcellent5-yr avg good+excellentLast year

Latest: 100% good or excellent, week ending Oct 10. Hover a bar for the full breakdown.

Field progress

Green tip, 2021

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

Maine apple green tip, 20210%50%100%Green tip, week ending Apr 11: 2% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Green tip, week ending Apr 18: 5% (5-yr avg —, last year 41%)Green tip, week ending Apr 25: 15% (5-yr avg 24%, last year 52%)Green tip, week ending May 2: 39% (5-yr avg 40%, last year 68%)Green tip, week ending May 9: 63% (5-yr avg 56%, last year 83%)Green tip, week ending May 16: 86% (5-yr avg 70%, last year 98%)Green tip, week ending May 23: 94% (5-yr avg 85%, last year 100%)Green tip, week ending May 30: 97% (5-yr avg —, last year 100%)Green tip, week ending Jun 6: 99% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Apr 11Apr 25May 9May 23Jun 6
This year5-yr avgLast year

Green tip: 99% as of Jun 6.

Field progress

Pink, 2021

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

Maine apple pink, 20210%50%100%Pink, week ending Apr 25: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Pink, week ending May 2: 15% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Pink, week ending May 9: 31% (5-yr avg 15%, last year 14%)Pink, week ending May 16: 65% (5-yr avg 36%, last year 35%)Pink, week ending May 23: 82% (5-yr avg 64%, last year 91%)Pink, week ending May 30: 85% (5-yr avg 84%, last year 100%)Pink, week ending Jun 6: 95% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Apr 25May 2May 9May 16May 23May 30Jun 6
This year5-yr avgLast year

Pink: 95% as of Jun 6.

Field progress

Full bloom, 2021

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

Maine apple full bloom, 20210%50%100%Full bloom, week ending May 9: 5% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Full bloom, week ending May 16: 48% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Full bloom, week ending May 23: 65% (5-yr avg 40%, last year 87%)Full bloom, week ending May 30: 70% (5-yr avg 73%, last year 100%)Full bloom, week ending Jun 6: 80% (5-yr avg —, last year 100%)Full bloom, week ending Jun 13: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 100%)Full bloom, week ending Jun 20: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year —)May 9May 16May 23May 30Jun 6Jun 13Jun 20
This year5-yr avgLast year

Full bloom: 100% as of Jun 20.

Field progress

Petal fall, 2021

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

Maine apple petal fall, 20210%50%100%Petal fall, week ending May 9: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Petal fall, week ending May 16: 12% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Petal fall, week ending May 23: 20% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Petal fall, week ending May 30: 25% (5-yr avg 34%, last year 27%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 6: 26% (5-yr avg 49%, last year 45%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 13: 71% (5-yr avg 61%, last year 51%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 20: 95% (5-yr avg —, last year 79%)May 9May 16May 23May 30Jun 6Jun 13Jun 20
This year5-yr avgLast year

Petal fall: 95% as of Jun 20.

Field progress

Fruit set, 2021

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

Maine apple fruit set, 20210%50%100%Fruit set, week ending May 23: 5% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Fruit set, week ending May 30: 10% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Fruit set, week ending Jun 6: 26% (5-yr avg 24%, last year 14%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 13: 46% (5-yr avg 43%, last year 36%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 20: 79% (5-yr avg —, last year 67%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 27: 89% (5-yr avg —, last year 82%)May 23May 30Jun 6Jun 13Jun 20Jun 27
This year5-yr avgLast year

Fruit set: 89% as of Jun 27.

Field progress

Harvested, 2021

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

Maine apple harvested, 20210%50%100%Harvested, week ending Sep 12: 10% (5-yr avg 19%, last year 6%)Harvested, week ending Sep 19: 28% (5-yr avg 33%, last year 28%)Harvested, week ending Sep 26: 35% (5-yr avg 45%, last year 39%)Harvested, week ending Oct 3: 50% (5-yr avg 58%, last year 67%)Harvested, week ending Oct 10: 66% (5-yr avg 66%, last year 74%)Harvested, week ending Oct 17: 70% (5-yr avg 79%, last year 79%)Harvested, week ending Oct 24: 91% (5-yr avg 92%, last year 93%)Harvested, week ending Oct 31: 96% (5-yr avg —, last year 98%)Sep 12Sep 19Sep 26Oct 3Oct 10Oct 17Oct 24Oct 31
This year5-yr avgLast year

Harvested: 96% as of Oct 31.

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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