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Maine · crop watch

Maine potato crop

USDA last rated the 2021 Maine potato crop for the week ending Oct 24, when 100% was good or excellent. Harvest stood at 99% complete. USDA's November forecast puts the 2021 crop at 18.4 million cwt, up 36.9% from last year's final of 13.5.

Last rated week ending Oct 24, 2021

Good to excellent · last reading

100%of the crop

Share of the 2021 crop rated good or excellent for the week ending Oct 24.

–

99%

Harvested

As of Oct 31.

▼

17.3

million cwt, 2025 forecast

−5.9% against last year's final crop.

Analysis

Week ending Sep 27

Maine potatoes rated far ahead of last year

Maine's potato crop was rated 79% good to excellent for the week ending September 27, 2026, unchanged from the prior week but up sharply from 56% at this point last year. Harvest reached 59% complete, ahead of both the five-year average of 51% and last year's 49%. USDA's November 2025 forecast put the 2025 crop at 17.3 million cwt, down 5.9% from last year's final 18.3 million cwt. Past forecasts for Maine have typically finished slightly smaller than the first estimate, by 0.4% on average. Watch the next USDA report for how the final number compares.

Written from USDA data and source reports

Forecast reliability

±1.2%

Average gap between the season's first USDA forecast and the final crop across the last 5 completed seasons.

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 potato crop condition, 20210%25%50%75%100%Week ending Jun 27: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 0%, Excellent 100% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Week ending Jul 4: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 50%, Good 50%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 50% (5-yr avg 80%, last year 50%)Week ending Jul 11: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 50%, Good 50%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 50% (5-yr avg 82%, last year 83%)Week ending Jul 18: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 25%, Good 75%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 75% (5-yr avg 81%, last year 76%)Week ending Jul 25: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 14%, Good 41%, Excellent 45% — good+excellent 86% (5-yr avg 92%, last year 70%)Week ending Aug 1: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 7%, Good 21%, Excellent 72% — good+excellent 93% (5-yr avg 85%, last year 64%)Week ending Aug 8: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 25%, Excellent 75% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 79%, last year 55%)Week ending Aug 15: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 25%, Excellent 75% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 76%, last year 50%)Week ending Aug 22: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 5%, Good 25%, Excellent 70% — good+excellent 95% (5-yr avg 76%, last year 85%)Week ending Aug 29: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 25%, Excellent 75% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 74%, last year 78%)Week ending Sep 5: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 25%, Excellent 75% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 68%, last year 90%)Week ending Sep 12: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 25%, Excellent 75% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 79%, last year 95%)Week ending Sep 19: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 25%, Excellent 75% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 70%, last year 40%)Week ending Sep 26: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 25%, Excellent 75% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 78%, last year 51%)Week ending Oct 3: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 25%, Excellent 75% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 74%, last year 41%)Week ending Oct 10: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 25%, Excellent 75% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 17%)Week ending Oct 17: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 25%, Excellent 75% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 51%)Week ending Oct 24: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 25%, Excellent 75% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg —, last year —)−50 pts — week ending Jul 4−50 ptsHarvest begins — week ending Aug 22Harvest beginsUSDA forecast — week ending Oct 24USDA forecastJun 27Jul 18Aug 8Aug 29Sep 19Oct 10
Very poorPoorFairGoodExcellent5-yr avg good+excellentLast year

Latest: 100% good or excellent, week ending Oct 24. Hover a bar for the full breakdown.

Field progress

Planted, 2021

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

Maine potato planted, 20210%50%100%Planted, week ending Apr 25: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Planted, week ending May 2: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Planted, week ending May 9: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year 1%)Planted, week ending May 16: 14% (5-yr avg 12%, last year 17%)Planted, week ending May 23: 38% (5-yr avg 38%, last year 63%)Planted, week ending May 30: 43% (5-yr avg 63%, last year 73%)Planted, week ending Jun 6: 53% (5-yr avg —, last year 81%)Planted, week ending Jun 13: 63% (5-yr avg —, last year 93%)Planted, week ending Jun 20: 82% (5-yr avg —, last year 99%)Apr 25May 9May 23Jun 6Jun 20
This year5-yr avgLast year

Planted: 82% as of Jun 20.

Field progress

Emerged, 2021

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

Maine potato emerged, 20210%50%100%Emerged, week ending May 23: 3% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Emerged, week ending May 30: 8% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Emerged, week ending Jun 6: 18% (5-yr avg 10%, last year 17%)Emerged, week ending Jun 13: 34% (5-yr avg 34%, last year 33%)Emerged, week ending Jun 20: 52% (5-yr avg 60%, last year 63%)Emerged, week ending Jun 27: 62% (5-yr avg —, last year 93%)Emerged, week ending Jul 4: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year —)May 23May 30Jun 6Jun 13Jun 20Jun 27Jul 4
This year5-yr avgLast year

Emerged: 100% as of Jul 4.

Field progress

Blooming, 2021

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

Maine potato blooming, 20210%50%100%Blooming, week ending Jun 20: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Blooming, week ending Jun 27: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Blooming, week ending Jul 4: 52% (5-yr avg —, last year 7%)Blooming, week ending Jul 11: 62% (5-yr avg —, last year 48%)Blooming, week ending Jul 18: 89% (5-yr avg —, last year 58%)Blooming, week ending Jul 25: 98% (5-yr avg —, last year 73%)Jun 20Jun 27Jul 4Jul 11Jul 18Jul 25
This year5-yr avgLast year

Blooming: 98% as of Jul 25.

Field progress

Harvested, 2021

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

Maine potato harvested, 20210%50%100%Harvested, week ending Aug 8: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Harvested, week ending Aug 15: 0% (5-yr avg 2%, last year 2%)Harvested, week ending Aug 22: 2% (5-yr avg 7%, last year 17%)Harvested, week ending Aug 29: 8% (5-yr avg 11%, last year 23%)Harvested, week ending Sep 5: 11% (5-yr avg 21%, last year 49%)Harvested, week ending Sep 12: 33% (5-yr avg 28%, last year 61%)Harvested, week ending Sep 19: 43% (5-yr avg 32%, last year 63%)Harvested, week ending Sep 26: 45% (5-yr avg 43%, last year 80%)Harvested, week ending Oct 3: 61% (5-yr avg 53%, last year 84%)Harvested, week ending Oct 10: 81% (5-yr avg 68%, last year 87%)Harvested, week ending Oct 17: 90% (5-yr avg —, last year 95%)Harvested, week ending Oct 24: 95% (5-yr avg —, last year 99%)Harvested, week ending Oct 31: 99% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Aug 8Aug 22Sep 5Sep 19Oct 3Oct 17Oct 31
This year5-yr avgLast year

Harvested: 99% 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 potato crop: USDA first forecast vs final05101520million cwt2014: no forecast · final 14.6 million cwt20142015: no forecast · final 16.2 million cwt20152016: no forecast · final 15.1 million cwt20162017: no forecast · final 15.2 million cwt20172018: no forecast · final 15.0 million cwt20182019: Nov forecast 16.5 million cwt · final 16.7 million cwt (+1.6%)+1.6%20192020: Nov forecast 13.4 million cwt · final 13.5 million cwt (+0.6%)+0.6%20202021: Nov forecast 18.4 million cwt · final 18.4 million cwt (-0.2%)−0.2%20212022: Nov forecast 18.1 million cwt · final 18.4 million cwt (+1.7%)+1.7%20222023: Nov forecast 17.4 million cwt · final 16.8 million cwt (-3.2%)−3.2%20232024: Nov forecast 18.3 million cwt · final 18.3 million cwt (+0.4%)+0.4%20242025: Nov forecast 17.3 million cwt · final 17.1 million cwt (-0.7%)−0.7%2025
First forecastFinalFinal pending
Crop yearFirst forecast (million cwt)FinalRevisionCrop valueShare of US
202517.3 November17.1−0.7%$253M4.1%
202418.3 November18.3+0.4%$271M4.4%
202317.4 November16.8−3.2%$239M3.8%
202218.1 November18.4+1.7%$247M4.6%
202118.4 November18.4−0.2%$215M4.5%
202013.4 November13.5+0.6%$152M3.2%
201916.5 November16.7+1.6%$184M4.0%
2018—15.0—$167M3.3%
2017—15.2—$155M3.4%
2016—15.1—$174M3.4%
2015—16.2—$163M3.6%
2014—14.6—$154M3.3%

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.

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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