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Maine · crop watch

Maine apple crop

USDA last rated the 2025 Maine apple crop for the week ending Sep 21, when 30% was good or excellent, 51 points below the five-year average of 81%, versus 100% at this point last year. Harvest stood at 60% complete (five-year average 43%). 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 21, 2025

Good to excellent · last reading

30%of the crop

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

▲

60%

Harvested

+17 points against the five-year pace of 43%.

▲

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, 2025

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, 20250%25%50%75%100%Week ending Jun 15: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 62%, Good 38%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 38% (5-yr avg 60%, last year 96%)Week ending Jun 22: Very poor 0%, Poor 9%, Fair 42%, Good 49%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 49% (5-yr avg 51%, last year 95%)Week ending Jun 29: Very poor 0%, Poor 9%, Fair 29%, Good 62%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 62% (5-yr avg 64%, last year 93%)Week ending Jul 6: Very poor 0%, Poor 6%, Fair 16%, Good 72%, Excellent 6% — good+excellent 78% (5-yr avg 68%, last year 88%)Week ending Jul 13: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 26%, Good 74%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 74% (5-yr avg 65%, last year 87%)Week ending Jul 20: Very poor 0%, Poor 6%, Fair 28%, Good 60%, Excellent 6% — good+excellent 66% (5-yr avg 63%, last year 85%)Week ending Jul 27: Very poor 0%, Poor 6%, Fair 27%, Good 60%, Excellent 7% — good+excellent 67% (5-yr avg 80%, last year 95%)Week ending Aug 3: Very poor 0%, Poor 3%, Fair 36%, Good 56%, Excellent 5% — good+excellent 61% (5-yr avg 65%, last year 99%)Week ending Aug 10: Very poor 0%, Poor 1%, Fair 43%, Good 52%, Excellent 4% — good+excellent 56% (5-yr avg 61%, last year 66%)Week ending Aug 17: Very poor 0%, Poor 12%, Fair 40%, Good 40%, Excellent 8% — good+excellent 48% (5-yr avg 69%, last year 80%)Week ending Aug 24: Very poor 0%, Poor 9%, Fair 43%, Good 42%, Excellent 6% — good+excellent 48% (5-yr avg 83%, last year 99%)Week ending Aug 31: Very poor 0%, Poor 24%, Fair 33%, Good 35%, Excellent 8% — good+excellent 43% (5-yr avg 83%, last year 76%)Week ending Sep 7: Very poor 4%, Poor 22%, Fair 43%, Good 26%, Excellent 5% — good+excellent 31% (5-yr avg 84%, last year 98%)Week ending Sep 14: Very poor 22%, Poor 42%, Fair 28%, Good 5%, Excellent 3% — good+excellent 8% (5-yr avg 75%, last year 77%)Week ending Sep 21: Very poor 15%, Poor 28%, Fair 27%, Good 21%, Excellent 9% — good+excellent 30% (5-yr avg 81%, last year 100%)Harvest begins — week ending Aug 10Harvest beginsUSDA forecast — week ending Aug 17USDA forecast−23 pts — week ending Sep 14−23 ptsJun 15Jun 29Jul 13Jul 27Aug 10Aug 24Sep 7Sep 21
Very poorPoorFairGoodExcellent5-yr avg good+excellentLast year

Latest: 30% good or excellent, week ending Sep 21. Hover a bar for the full breakdown.

Field progress

Green tip, 2025

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

Maine apple green tip, 20250%50%100%Green tip, week ending Apr 13: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Green tip, week ending Apr 20: 1% (5-yr avg 17%, last year 14%)Green tip, week ending Apr 27: 24% (5-yr avg 32%, last year 32%)Green tip, week ending May 4: 50% (5-yr avg 50%, last year 37%)Green tip, week ending May 11: 74% (5-yr avg 77%, last year 74%)Apr 13Apr 20Apr 27May 4May 11
This year5-yr avgLast year

Green tip: 74% as of May 11 (5-yr avg 77%).

Field progress

Pink, 2025

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

Maine apple pink, 20250%50%100%Pink, week ending May 4: 5% (5-yr avg 12%, last year 17%)Pink, week ending May 11: 8% (5-yr avg 29%, last year 28%)Pink, week ending May 18: 80% (5-yr avg 60%, last year 47%)Pink, week ending May 25: 94% (5-yr avg 90%, last year 84%)May 4May 11May 18May 25
This year5-yr avgLast year

Pink: 94% as of May 25 (5-yr avg 90%).

Field progress

Full bloom, 2025

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

Maine apple full bloom, 20250%50%100%Full bloom, week ending May 11: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Full bloom, week ending May 18: 33% (5-yr avg 37%, last year 7%)Full bloom, week ending May 25: 43% (5-yr avg 71%, last year 26%)Full bloom, week ending Jun 1: 94% (5-yr avg 84%, last year 60%)Full bloom, week ending Jun 8: 95% (5-yr avg —, last year 82%)May 11May 18May 25Jun 1Jun 8
This year5-yr avgLast year

Full bloom: 95% as of Jun 8.

Field progress

Petal fall, 2025

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

Maine apple petal fall, 20250%50%100%Petal fall, week ending May 25: 1% (5-yr avg 29%, last year 0%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 1: 32% (5-yr avg 47%, last year 21%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 8: 55% (5-yr avg 65%, last year 46%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 15: 88% (5-yr avg —, last year 89%)May 25Jun 1Jun 8Jun 15
This year5-yr avgLast year

Petal fall: 88% as of Jun 15.

Field progress

Fruit set, 2025

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

Maine apple fruit set, 20250%50%100%Fruit set, week ending Jun 1: 1% (5-yr avg 9%, last year 4%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 8: 18% (5-yr avg 32%, last year 26%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 15: 51% (5-yr avg 58%, last year 56%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 22: 75% (5-yr avg —, last year 73%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 29: 92% (5-yr avg —, last year 84%)Jun 1Jun 8Jun 15Jun 22Jun 29
This year5-yr avgLast year

Fruit set: 92% as of Jun 29.

Field progress

Harvested, 2025

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

Maine apple harvested, 20250%50%100%Harvested, week ending Aug 10: 5% (5-yr avg —, last year 6%)Harvested, week ending Aug 17: 7% (5-yr avg —, last year 14%)Harvested, week ending Aug 24: 10% (5-yr avg —, last year 19%)Harvested, week ending Aug 31: 15% (5-yr avg —, last year 22%)Harvested, week ending Sep 7: 20% (5-yr avg —, last year 25%)Harvested, week ending Sep 14: 30% (5-yr avg 20%, last year 34%)Harvested, week ending Sep 21: 45% (5-yr avg 34%, last year 48%)Harvested, week ending Sep 28: 60% (5-yr avg 43%, last year 52%)Aug 10Aug 17Aug 24Aug 31Sep 7Sep 14Sep 21Sep 28
This year5-yr avgLast year

Harvested: 60% as of Sep 28 (5-yr avg 43%).

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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