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Maine · crop watch

Maine apple crop

As of the week ending Sep 27, 77% of the 2026 Maine apple crop is rated good or excellent. Harvest is 50% complete (five-year average 45%). USDA's August forecast puts the 2018 crop at 48.0 million lb, up 22.4% from last year's final of 39.2.

Week ending Sep 27, 2026

Good to excellent

77%of the crop

Share of the 2026 crop rated good or excellent for the week ending Sep 27.

▲

50%

Harvested

+5 points against the five-year pace of 45%.

▲

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, 2026

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, 20260%25%50%75%100%Week ending Jun 14: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 31%, Good 47%, Excellent 22% — good+excellent 69% (5-yr avg 53%, last year 38%)Week ending Jun 21: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 23%, Good 47%, Excellent 30% — good+excellent 77% (5-yr avg 48%, last year 49%)Week ending Jun 28: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 23%, Good 47%, Excellent 30% — good+excellent 77% (5-yr avg 63%, last year 62%)Week ending Jul 5: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 22%, Good 48%, Excellent 30% — good+excellent 78% (5-yr avg 71%, last year 78%)Week ending Jul 12: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 45%, Good 37%, Excellent 18% — good+excellent 55% (5-yr avg 66%, last year 74%)Week ending Jul 19: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 22%, Good 52%, Excellent 26% — good+excellent 78% (5-yr avg 62%, last year 66%)Week ending Jul 26: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 23%, Good 50%, Excellent 27% — good+excellent 77% (5-yr avg 78%, last year 67%)Week ending Aug 2: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 22%, Good 49%, Excellent 29% — good+excellent 78% (5-yr avg 63%, last year 61%)Week ending Aug 9: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 25%, Good 50%, Excellent 25% — good+excellent 75% (5-yr avg 58%, last year 56%)Week ending Aug 16: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 24%, Good 50%, Excellent 26% — good+excellent 76% (5-yr avg 66%, last year 48%)Week ending Aug 23: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 26%, Good 50%, Excellent 24% — good+excellent 74% (5-yr avg 76%, last year 48%)Week ending Aug 30: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 25%, Good 50%, Excellent 25% — good+excellent 75% (5-yr avg 76%, last year 43%)Week ending Sep 6: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 25%, Good 50%, Excellent 25% — good+excellent 75% (5-yr avg 74%, last year 31%)Week ending Sep 13: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 16%, Good 50%, Excellent 34% — good+excellent 84% (5-yr avg 63%, last year 8%)Week ending Sep 20: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 23%, Good 50%, Excellent 27% — good+excellent 77% (5-yr avg 72%, last year 30%)Week ending Sep 27: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 23%, Good 50%, Excellent 27% — good+excellent 77% (5-yr avg —, last year —)−23 pts — week ending Jul 12−23 ptsUSDA forecast — week ending Aug 16USDA forecastHarvest begins — week ending Aug 16Harvest beginsJun 14Jun 28Jul 12Jul 26Aug 9Aug 23Sep 6Sep 20
Very poorPoorFairGoodExcellent5-yr avg good+excellentLast year

Latest: 77% good or excellent, week ending Sep 27. Hover a bar for the full breakdown.

Field progress

Green tip, 2026

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

Maine apple green tip, 20260%50%100%Green tip, week ending Apr 12: 1% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Green tip, week ending Apr 19: 3% (5-yr avg 6%, last year 1%)Green tip, week ending Apr 26: 31% (5-yr avg 23%, last year 21%)Green tip, week ending May 3: 75% (5-yr avg 43%, last year 46%)Green tip, week ending May 10: 80% (5-yr avg 70%, last year 71%)Green tip, week ending May 17: 94% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Green tip, week ending May 24: 98% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Green tip, week ending May 31: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Green tip, week ending Jun 7: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Apr 12Apr 26May 10May 24Jun 7
This year5-yr avgLast year

Green tip: 100% as of Jun 7.

Field progress

Pink, 2026

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

Maine apple pink, 20260%50%100%Pink, week ending Apr 26: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Pink, week ending May 3: 4% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Pink, week ending May 10: 5% (5-yr avg 24%, last year 8%)Pink, week ending May 17: 25% (5-yr avg 62%, last year 70%)Pink, week ending May 24: 65% (5-yr avg 87%, last year 92%)Pink, week ending May 31: 98% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Pink, week ending Jun 7: 99% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Apr 26May 3May 10May 17May 24May 31Jun 7
This year5-yr avgLast year

Pink: 99% as of Jun 7.

Field progress

Full bloom, 2026

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

Maine apple full bloom, 20260%50%100%Full bloom, week ending May 24: 15% (5-yr avg 58%, last year 42%)Full bloom, week ending May 31: 70% (5-yr avg 80%, last year 87%)Full bloom, week ending Jun 7: 95% (5-yr avg —, last year 95%)May 24May 31Jun 7
This year5-yr avgLast year

Full bloom: 95% as of Jun 7.

Field progress

Petal fall, 2026

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

Maine apple petal fall, 20260%50%100%Petal fall, week ending May 24: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Petal fall, week ending May 31: 60% (5-yr avg 45%, last year 28%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 7: 93% (5-yr avg 63%, last year 52%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 14: 95% (5-yr avg —, last year 83%)May 24May 31Jun 7Jun 14
This year5-yr avgLast year

Petal fall: 95% as of Jun 14.

Field progress

Fruit set, 2026

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

Maine apple fruit set, 20260%50%100%Fruit set, week ending May 31: 2% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Fruit set, week ending Jun 7: 79% (5-yr avg 28%, last year 16%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 14: 85% (5-yr avg 55%, last year 46%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 21: 92% (5-yr avg —, last year 72%)May 31Jun 7Jun 14Jun 21
This year5-yr avgLast year

Fruit set: 92% as of Jun 21.

Field progress

Harvested, 2026

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

Maine apple harvested, 20260%50%100%Harvested, week ending Jun 14: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Harvested, week ending Aug 9: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Harvested, week ending Aug 16: 10% (5-yr avg —, last year 7%)Harvested, week ending Aug 23: 13% (5-yr avg —, last year 10%)Harvested, week ending Aug 30: 15% (5-yr avg —, last year 14%)Harvested, week ending Sep 6: 21% (5-yr avg —, last year 19%)Harvested, week ending Sep 13: 27% (5-yr avg 22%, last year 29%)Harvested, week ending Sep 20: 46% (5-yr avg 35%, last year 43%)Harvested, week ending Sep 27: 50% (5-yr avg 45%, last year 58%)Jun 14Aug 16Aug 30Sep 13Sep 27
This year5-yr avgLast year

Harvested: 50% as of Sep 27 (5-yr avg 45%).

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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