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Maine · crop watch

Maine potato crop

USDA last rated the 2022 Maine potato crop for the week ending Oct 16, when 80% was good or excellent, versus 100% at this point last year. Harvest stood at 98% complete. USDA's November forecast puts the 2022 crop at 18.1 million cwt, down 1.5% from last year's final of 18.4.

Last rated week ending Oct 16, 2022

Good to excellent · last reading

80%of the crop

Share of the 2022 crop rated good or excellent for the week ending Oct 16.

–

98%

Harvested

As of Oct 23.

▼

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, 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 potato crop condition, 20220%25%50%75%100%Week ending Jun 26: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 0%, Excellent 100% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 100%)Week ending Jul 3: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 0%, Excellent 100% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 70%, last year 50%)Week ending Jul 10: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 20%, Excellent 80% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 72%, last year 50%)Week ending Jul 17: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 20%, Excellent 80% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 76%, last year 75%)Week ending Jul 24: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 36%, Excellent 64% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 89%, last year 86%)Week ending Jul 31: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 35%, Excellent 65% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 83%, last year 93%)Week ending Aug 7: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 35%, Excellent 65% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 79%, last year 100%)Week ending Aug 14: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 36%, Excellent 64% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 76%, last year 100%)Week ending Aug 21: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 50%, Excellent 50% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 75%, last year 95%)Week ending Aug 28: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 50%, Excellent 50% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 74%, last year 100%)Week ending Sep 4: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 20%, Good 40%, Excellent 40% — good+excellent 80% (5-yr avg 68%, last year 100%)Week ending Sep 11: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 20%, Good 40%, Excellent 40% — good+excellent 80% (5-yr avg 79%, last year 100%)Week ending Sep 18: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 20%, Good 40%, Excellent 40% — good+excellent 80% (5-yr avg 70%, last year 100%)Week ending Sep 25: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 20%, Good 40%, Excellent 40% — good+excellent 80% (5-yr avg 78%, last year 100%)Week ending Oct 2: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 20%, Good 40%, Excellent 40% — good+excellent 80% (5-yr avg 74%, last year 100%)Week ending Oct 9: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 20%, Good 40%, Excellent 40% — good+excellent 80% (5-yr avg —, last year 100%)Week ending Oct 16: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 20%, Good 40%, Excellent 40% — good+excellent 80% (5-yr avg —, last year 100%)Harvest begins — week ending Aug 28Harvest begins−20 pts — week ending Sep 4−20 ptsUSDA forecast — week ending Oct 16USDA forecastJun 26Jul 17Aug 7Aug 28Sep 18Oct 9
Very poorPoorFairGoodExcellent5-yr avg good+excellentLast year

Latest: 80% good or excellent, week ending Oct 16. Hover a bar for the full breakdown.

Field progress

Planted, 2022

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

Maine potato planted, 20220%50%100%Planted, week ending Apr 24: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Planted, week ending May 1: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year 0%)Planted, week ending May 8: 5% (5-yr avg —, last year 0%)Planted, week ending May 15: 13% (5-yr avg 11%, last year 12%)Planted, week ending May 22: 35% (5-yr avg 36%, last year 35%)Planted, week ending May 29: 66% (5-yr avg 53%, last year 42%)Planted, week ending Jun 5: 76% (5-yr avg 63%, last year 52%)Planted, week ending Jun 12: 87% (5-yr avg 77%, last year 62%)Planted, week ending Jun 19: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 79%)Apr 24May 8May 22Jun 5Jun 19
This year5-yr avgLast year

Planted: 100% as of Jun 19.

Field progress

Emerged, 2022

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

Maine potato emerged, 20220%50%100%Emerged, week ending May 22: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Emerged, week ending May 29: 10% (5-yr avg —, last year 7%)Emerged, week ending Jun 5: 15% (5-yr avg 8%, last year 17%)Emerged, week ending Jun 12: 43% (5-yr avg 21%, last year 32%)Emerged, week ending Jun 19: 75% (5-yr avg 49%, last year 49%)Emerged, week ending Jun 26: 80% (5-yr avg —, last year 61%)Emerged, week ending Jul 3: 90% (5-yr avg —, last year 95%)Emerged, week ending Jul 10: 98% (5-yr avg —, last year —)May 22May 29Jun 5Jun 12Jun 19Jun 26Jul 3Jul 10
This year5-yr avgLast year

Emerged: 98% as of Jul 10.

Field progress

Blooming, 2022

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

Maine potato blooming, 20220%50%100%Blooming, week ending Jun 19: 1% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Blooming, week ending Jun 26: 9% (5-yr avg —, last year 0%)Blooming, week ending Jul 3: 12% (5-yr avg —, last year 45%)Blooming, week ending Jul 10: 22% (5-yr avg —, last year 61%)Blooming, week ending Jul 17: 45% (5-yr avg —, last year 85%)Blooming, week ending Jul 24: 70% (5-yr avg —, last year 97%)Blooming, week ending Jul 31: 90% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Blooming, week ending Aug 7: 95% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Jun 19Jun 26Jul 3Jul 10Jul 17Jul 24Jul 31Aug 7
This year5-yr avgLast year

Blooming: 95% as of Aug 7.

Field progress

Harvested, 2022

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

Maine potato harvested, 20220%50%100%Harvested, week ending Aug 14: 0% (5-yr avg 2%, last year 0%)Harvested, week ending Aug 21: 0% (5-yr avg 6%, last year 2%)Harvested, week ending Aug 28: 8% (5-yr avg 10%, last year 7%)Harvested, week ending Sep 4: 10% (5-yr avg 18%, last year 11%)Harvested, week ending Sep 11: 20% (5-yr avg 28%, last year 30%)Harvested, week ending Sep 18: 20% (5-yr avg 34%, last year 42%)Harvested, week ending Sep 25: 27% (5-yr avg 43%, last year 45%)Harvested, week ending Oct 2: 45% (5-yr avg 56%, last year 59%)Harvested, week ending Oct 9: 65% (5-yr avg 69%, last year 78%)Harvested, week ending Oct 16: 90% (5-yr avg 80%, last year 89%)Harvested, week ending Oct 23: 98% (5-yr avg —, last year 94%)Aug 14Aug 28Sep 11Sep 25Oct 9Oct 23
This year5-yr avgLast year

Harvested: 98% as of Oct 23.

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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