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Maine · crop watch

Maine apple crop

USDA last rated the 2024 Maine apple crop for the week ending Sep 22, when 100% was good or excellent, 25 points above the five-year average of 75%, versus 52% at this point last year. Harvest stood at 80% complete (five-year average 84%). 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 22, 2024

Good to excellent · last reading

100%of the crop

25 points above the five-year average for this week, and 52% a year ago.

▼

80%

Harvested

−4 points against the five-year pace of 84%.

▲

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, 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
Maine apple crop condition, 20240%25%50%75%100%Week ending Apr 14: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 100%, Good 0%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Week ending Jun 16: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 4%, Good 96%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 96% (5-yr avg 61%, last year 30%)Week ending Jun 23: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 5%, Good 94%, Excellent 1% — good+excellent 95% (5-yr avg 53%, last year 0%)Week ending Jun 30: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 7%, Good 91%, Excellent 2% — good+excellent 93% (5-yr avg 65%, last year 0%)Week ending Jul 7: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 12%, Good 88%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 88% (5-yr avg 71%, last year 0%)Week ending Jul 14: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 13%, Good 87%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 87% (5-yr avg 68%, last year 22%)Week ending Jul 21: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 15%, Good 84%, Excellent 1% — good+excellent 85% (5-yr avg 66%, last year 18%)Week ending Jul 28: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 5%, Good 87%, Excellent 8% — good+excellent 95% (5-yr avg 81%, last year 85%)Week ending Aug 4: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 1%, Good 98%, Excellent 1% — good+excellent 99% (5-yr avg 65%, last year 27%)Week ending Aug 11: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 34%, Good 65%, Excellent 1% — good+excellent 66% (5-yr avg 66%, last year 23%)Week ending Aug 18: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 20%, Good 80%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 80% (5-yr avg 69%, last year 53%)Week ending Aug 25: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 1%, Good 94%, Excellent 5% — good+excellent 99% (5-yr avg 75%, last year 65%)Week ending Sep 1: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 24%, Good 69%, Excellent 7% — good+excellent 76% (5-yr avg 88%, last year 65%)Week ending Sep 8: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 2%, Good 97%, Excellent 1% — good+excellent 98% (5-yr avg 78%, last year 52%)Week ending Sep 15: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 23%, Good 65%, Excellent 12% — good+excellent 77% (5-yr avg 70%, last year 65%)Week ending Sep 22: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 100%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 75%, last year 52%)Harvest begins — week ending Aug 11Harvest begins−33 pts — week ending Aug 11−33 ptsUSDA forecast — week ending Aug 18USDA forecastApr 14Jun 23Jul 7Jul 21Aug 4Aug 18Sep 1Sep 15
Very poorPoorFairGoodExcellent5-yr avg good+excellentLast year

Latest: 100% 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.

Maine apple green tip, 20240%50%100%Green tip, week ending Apr 14: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Green tip, week ending Apr 21: 16% (5-yr avg 16%, last year 9%)Green tip, week ending Apr 28: 35% (5-yr avg 36%, last year 25%)Green tip, week ending May 5: 37% (5-yr avg 56%, last year 51%)Green tip, week ending May 12: 80% (5-yr avg 75%, last year 83%)Green tip, week ending May 19: 85% (5-yr avg 95%, last year 98%)Green tip, week ending May 26: 100% (5-yr avg 99%, 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 99%).

Field progress

Pink, 2024

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

Maine apple pink, 20240%50%100%Pink, week ending Apr 21: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Pink, week ending Apr 28: 15% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Pink, week ending May 5: 17% (5-yr avg 10%, last year 14%)Pink, week ending May 12: 30% (5-yr avg 31%, last year 36%)Pink, week ending May 19: 50% (5-yr avg 62%, last year 74%)Pink, week ending May 26: 90% (5-yr avg 85%, last year 92%)Apr 21Apr 28May 5May 12May 19May 26
This year5-yr avgLast year

Pink: 90% as of May 26 (5-yr avg 85%).

Field progress

Full bloom, 2024

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

Maine apple full bloom, 20240%50%100%Full bloom, week ending May 12: 4% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Full bloom, week ending May 19: 8% (5-yr avg 42%, last year 53%)Full bloom, week ending May 26: 29% (5-yr avg 76%, last year 81%)Full bloom, week ending Jun 2: 65% (5-yr avg 89%, last year 96%)Full bloom, week ending Jun 9: 85% (5-yr avg —, last year —)May 12May 19May 26Jun 2Jun 9
This year5-yr avgLast year

Full bloom: 85% as of Jun 9.

Field progress

Petal fall, 2024

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

Maine apple petal fall, 20240%50%100%Petal fall, week ending May 19: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year 11%)Petal fall, week ending May 26: 0% (5-yr avg 32%, last year 51%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 2: 25% (5-yr avg 48%, last year 79%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 9: 50% (5-yr avg 61%, last year 94%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 16: 95% (5-yr avg —, last year —)May 19May 26Jun 2Jun 9Jun 16
This year5-yr avgLast year

Petal fall: 95% as of Jun 16.

Field progress

Fruit set, 2024

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

Maine apple fruit set, 20240%50%100%Fruit set, week ending May 26: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year 0%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 2: 5% (5-yr avg 11%, last year 18%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 9: 30% (5-yr avg 29%, last year 56%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 16: 60% (5-yr avg 55%, last year 82%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 23: 75% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Fruit set, week ending Jun 30: 85% (5-yr avg —, last year —)May 26Jun 2Jun 9Jun 16Jun 23Jun 30
This year5-yr avgLast year

Fruit set: 85% as of Jun 30.

Field progress

Harvested, 2024

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

Maine apple harvested, 20240%50%100%Harvested, week ending Aug 4: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year 0%)Harvested, week ending Aug 11: 7% (5-yr avg —, last year 0%)Harvested, week ending Aug 18: 15% (5-yr avg —, last year 1%)Harvested, week ending Aug 25: 20% (5-yr avg —, last year 4%)Harvested, week ending Sep 1: 22% (5-yr avg —, last year 9%)Harvested, week ending Sep 8: 25% (5-yr avg —, last year 14%)Harvested, week ending Sep 15: 35% (5-yr avg 19%, last year 19%)Harvested, week ending Sep 22: 50% (5-yr avg 34%, last year 36%)Harvested, week ending Sep 29: 52% (5-yr avg 43%, last year 44%)Harvested, week ending Oct 6: 55% (5-yr avg 56%, last year 49%)Harvested, week ending Oct 13: 75% (5-yr avg 72%, last year 68%)Harvested, week ending Oct 20: 80% (5-yr avg 84%, last year 86%)Aug 4Aug 18Sep 1Sep 15Sep 29Oct 13
This year5-yr avgLast year

Harvested: 80% as of Oct 20 (5-yr avg 84%).

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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