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Maine · crop watch

Maine apple crop

USDA last rated the 2022 Maine apple crop for the week ending Sep 25, when 80% was good or excellent, 9 points below the five-year average of 89%, versus 100% at this point last year. Harvest stood at 90% complete (five-year average 89%). 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 Sep 25, 2022

Good to excellent · last reading

80%of the crop

9 points below the five-year average for this week, and 100% a year ago.

▲

90%

Harvested

+1 points against the five-year pace of 89%.

▲

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, 2022

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, 20220%25%50%75%100%Week ending Jun 12: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 54%, Good 23%, Excellent 23% — good+excellent 46% (5-yr avg —, last year 0%)Week ending Jun 19: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 60%, Excellent 40% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 75%, last year 0%)Week ending Jun 26: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 5%, Good 55%, Excellent 40% — good+excellent 95% (5-yr avg 74%, last year 0%)Week ending Jul 3: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 16%, Good 59%, Excellent 25% — good+excellent 84% (5-yr avg 87%, last year 75%)Week ending Jul 10: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 9%, Good 65%, Excellent 26% — good+excellent 91% (5-yr avg 89%, last year 97%)Week ending Jul 17: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 27%, Good 65%, Excellent 8% — good+excellent 73% (5-yr avg 86%, last year 75%)Week ending Jul 24: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 9%, Good 68%, Excellent 23% — good+excellent 91% (5-yr avg 81%, last year 50%)Week ending Jul 31: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 10%, Good 64%, Excellent 26% — good+excellent 90% (5-yr avg 81%, last year 50%)Week ending Aug 7: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 31%, Good 65%, Excellent 4% — good+excellent 69% (5-yr avg 82%, last year 60%)Week ending Aug 14: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 30%, Good 66%, Excellent 4% — good+excellent 70% (5-yr avg 81%, last year 75%)Week ending Aug 21: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 30%, Good 66%, Excellent 4% — good+excellent 70% (5-yr avg 78%, last year 80%)Week ending Aug 28: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 10%, Good 90%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 90% (5-yr avg 89%, last year 80%)Week ending Sep 4: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 5%, Good 85%, Excellent 10% — good+excellent 95% (5-yr avg 87%, last year 100%)Week ending Sep 11: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 10%, Good 87%, Excellent 3% — good+excellent 90% (5-yr avg 82%, last year 100%)Week ending Sep 18: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 35%, Good 65%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 65% (5-yr avg 87%, last year 100%)Week ending Sep 25: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 20%, Good 80%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 80% (5-yr avg 89%, last year 100%)USDA forecast — week ending Aug 14USDA forecastHarvest begins — week ending Aug 21Harvest begins−25 pts — week ending Sep 18−25 ptsJun 12Jun 26Jul 10Jul 24Aug 7Aug 21Sep 4Sep 18
Very poorPoorFairGoodExcellent5-yr avg good+excellentLast year

Latest: 80% good or excellent, week ending Sep 25. Hover a bar for the full breakdown.

Field progress

Green tip, 2022

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

Maine apple green tip, 20220%50%100%Green tip, week ending Apr 10: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Green tip, week ending Apr 17: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year 5%)Green tip, week ending Apr 24: 17% (5-yr avg 20%, last year 14%)Green tip, week ending May 1: 42% (5-yr avg 37%, last year 36%)Green tip, week ending May 8: 61% (5-yr avg 58%, last year 60%)Green tip, week ending May 15: 92% (5-yr avg 73%, last year 83%)Green tip, week ending May 22: 100% (5-yr avg 86%, last year 93%)Green tip, week ending May 29: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 97%)Green tip, week ending Jun 5: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 99%)Apr 10Apr 24May 8May 22Jun 5
This year5-yr avgLast year

Green tip: 100% as of Jun 5.

Field progress

Pink, 2022

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

Maine apple pink, 20220%50%100%Pink, week ending Apr 24: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Pink, week ending May 1: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year 13%)Pink, week ending May 8: 6% (5-yr avg 14%, last year 29%)Pink, week ending May 15: 55% (5-yr avg 36%, last year 60%)Pink, week ending May 22: 90% (5-yr avg 62%, last year 80%)Pink, week ending May 29: 100% (5-yr avg 81%, last year 85%)Pink, week ending Jun 5: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 94%)Apr 24May 1May 8May 15May 22May 29Jun 5
This year5-yr avgLast year

Pink: 100% as of Jun 5.

Field progress

Full bloom, 2022

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

Maine apple full bloom, 20220%50%100%Full bloom, week ending May 8: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Full bloom, week ending May 15: 33% (5-yr avg —, last year 42%)Full bloom, week ending May 22: 78% (5-yr avg 40%, last year 63%)Full bloom, week ending May 29: 93% (5-yr avg 68%, last year 69%)Full bloom, week ending Jun 5: 100% (5-yr avg 76%, last year 79%)Full bloom, week ending Jun 12: 100% (5-yr avg 85%, last year 97%)May 8May 15May 22May 29Jun 5Jun 12
This year5-yr avgLast year

Full bloom: 100% as of Jun 12 (5-yr avg 85%).

Field progress

Petal fall, 2022

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

Maine apple petal fall, 20220%50%100%Petal fall, week ending May 8: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Petal fall, week ending May 15: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year 10%)Petal fall, week ending May 22: 35% (5-yr avg —, last year 19%)Petal fall, week ending May 29: 75% (5-yr avg 25%, last year 24%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 5: 95% (5-yr avg 35%, last year 26%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 12: 100% (5-yr avg 52%, last year 65%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 19: 100% (5-yr avg 74%, last year 92%)May 8May 15May 22May 29Jun 5Jun 12Jun 19
This year5-yr avgLast year

Petal fall: 100% as of Jun 19 (5-yr avg 74%).

Field progress

Fruit set, 2022

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

Maine apple fruit set, 20220%50%100%Fruit set, week ending May 22: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Fruit set, week ending May 29: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year 9%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 5: 25% (5-yr avg 17%, last year 24%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 12: 38% (5-yr avg 34%, last year 43%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 19: 75% (5-yr avg 56%, last year 74%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 26: 85% (5-yr avg 77%, last year 88%)May 22May 29Jun 5Jun 12Jun 19Jun 26
This year5-yr avgLast year

Fruit set: 85% as of Jun 26 (5-yr avg 77%).

Field progress

Harvested, 2022

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

Maine apple harvested, 20220%50%100%Harvested, week ending Jul 31: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Harvested, week ending Aug 7: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Harvested, week ending Aug 14: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Harvested, week ending Aug 21: 10% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Harvested, week ending Aug 28: 10% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Harvested, week ending Sep 4: 16% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Harvested, week ending Sep 11: 20% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Harvested, week ending Sep 18: 25% (5-yr avg 28%, last year 25%)Harvested, week ending Sep 25: 32% (5-yr avg 39%, last year 34%)Harvested, week ending Oct 2: 35% (5-yr avg 54%, last year 48%)Harvested, week ending Oct 9: 60% (5-yr avg 63%, last year 64%)Harvested, week ending Oct 16: 80% (5-yr avg 73%, last year 69%)Harvested, week ending Oct 23: 90% (5-yr avg 89%, last year 88%)Jul 31Aug 14Aug 28Sep 11Sep 25Oct 9Oct 23
This year5-yr avgLast year

Harvested: 90% as of Oct 23 (5-yr avg 89%).

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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