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Maine · crop watch

Maine potato crop

USDA last rated the 2023 Maine potato crop for the week ending Sep 17, when 70% was good or excellent, 12 points below the five-year average of 82%, versus 80% at this point last year. Harvest stood at 95% complete. USDA's November forecast puts the 2023 crop at 17.4 million cwt, down 5.8% from last year's final of 18.4.

Last rated week ending Sep 17, 2023

Good to excellent · last reading

70%of the crop

12 points below the five-year average for this week, and 80% a year ago.

–

95%

Harvested

As of Oct 29.

▼

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, 2023

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, 20230%25%50%75%100%Week ending Jun 25: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 48%, Good 52%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 52% (5-yr avg —, last year 100%)Week ending Jul 2: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 39%, Good 61%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 61% (5-yr avg 70%, last year 100%)Week ending Jul 9: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 56%, Good 43%, Excellent 1% — good+excellent 44% (5-yr avg 82%, last year 100%)Week ending Jul 16: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 57%, Good 42%, Excellent 1% — good+excellent 43% (5-yr avg 84%, last year 100%)Week ending Jul 23: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 30%, Good 50%, Excellent 20% — good+excellent 70% (5-yr avg 89%, last year 100%)Week ending Jul 30: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 61%, Good 38%, Excellent 1% — good+excellent 39% (5-yr avg 83%, last year 100%)Week ending Aug 6: Very poor 0%, Poor 1%, Fair 48%, Good 50%, Excellent 1% — good+excellent 51% (5-yr avg 83%, last year 100%)Week ending Aug 13: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 40%, Good 59%, Excellent 1% — good+excellent 60% (5-yr avg 82%, last year 100%)Week ending Aug 20: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 31%, Good 59%, Excellent 10% — good+excellent 69% (5-yr avg 86%, last year 100%)Week ending Aug 27: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 30%, Good 60%, Excellent 10% — good+excellent 70% (5-yr avg 89%, last year 100%)Week ending Sep 3: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 26%, Good 65%, Excellent 9% — good+excellent 74% (5-yr avg 80%, last year 80%)Week ending Sep 10: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 21%, Good 70%, Excellent 9% — good+excellent 79% (5-yr avg 91%, last year 80%)Week ending Sep 17: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 30%, Good 70%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 70% (5-yr avg 82%, last year 80%)−31 pts — week ending Jul 30−31 ptsHarvest begins — week ending Aug 6Harvest beginsUSDA forecast — week ending Sep 17USDA forecastJun 25Jul 9Jul 23Aug 6Aug 20Sep 3Sep 17
Very poorPoorFairGoodExcellent5-yr avg good+excellentLast year

Latest: 70% good or excellent, week ending Sep 17. Hover a bar for the full breakdown.

Field progress

Planted, 2023

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

Maine potato planted, 20230%50%100%Planted, week ending Apr 30: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year 0%)Planted, week ending May 7: 15% (5-yr avg —, last year 4%)Planted, week ending May 14: 21% (5-yr avg 10%, last year 12%)Planted, week ending May 21: 61% (5-yr avg 34%, last year 32%)Planted, week ending May 28: 73% (5-yr avg 51%, last year 62%)Planted, week ending Jun 4: 85% (5-yr avg 62%, last year 75%)Planted, week ending Jun 11: 92% (5-yr avg 77%, last year 85%)Apr 30May 7May 14May 21May 28Jun 4Jun 11
This year5-yr avgLast year

Planted: 92% as of Jun 11 (5-yr avg 77%).

Field progress

Emerged, 2023

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

Maine potato emerged, 20230%50%100%Emerged, week ending May 21: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Emerged, week ending May 28: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year 9%)Emerged, week ending Jun 4: 0% (5-yr avg 10%, last year 14%)Emerged, week ending Jun 11: 27% (5-yr avg 24%, last year 39%)Emerged, week ending Jun 18: 56% (5-yr avg 48%, last year 70%)Emerged, week ending Jun 25: 88% (5-yr avg 66%, last year 79%)Emerged, week ending Jul 2: 94% (5-yr avg —, last year 89%)May 21May 28Jun 4Jun 11Jun 18Jun 25Jul 2
This year5-yr avgLast year

Emerged: 94% as of Jul 2.

Field progress

Blooming, 2023

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

Maine potato blooming, 20230%50%100%Blooming, week ending Jun 18: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Blooming, week ending Jun 25: 5% (5-yr avg —, last year 8%)Blooming, week ending Jul 2: 10% (5-yr avg —, last year 12%)Blooming, week ending Jul 9: 18% (5-yr avg —, last year 21%)Blooming, week ending Jul 16: 27% (5-yr avg —, last year 42%)Blooming, week ending Jul 23: 44% (5-yr avg —, last year 66%)Blooming, week ending Jul 30: 50% (5-yr avg —, last year 87%)Jun 18Jun 25Jul 2Jul 9Jul 16Jul 23Jul 30
This year5-yr avgLast year

Blooming: 50% as of Jul 30.

Field progress

Harvested, 2023

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

Maine potato harvested, 20230%50%100%Harvested, week ending Aug 6: 5% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Harvested, week ending Aug 13: 21% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Harvested, week ending Aug 20: 26% (5-yr avg 5%, last year 0%)Harvested, week ending Aug 27: 31% (5-yr avg 11%, last year 7%)Harvested, week ending Sep 3: 32% (5-yr avg 18%, last year 10%)Harvested, week ending Sep 10: 38% (5-yr avg 28%, last year 19%)Harvested, week ending Sep 17: 65% (5-yr avg 33%, last year 20%)Harvested, week ending Sep 24: 75% (5-yr avg 41%, last year 26%)Harvested, week ending Oct 1: 77% (5-yr avg 56%, last year 42%)Harvested, week ending Oct 8: 80% (5-yr avg 67%, last year 62%)Harvested, week ending Oct 15: 85% (5-yr avg 80%, last year 86%)Harvested, week ending Oct 22: 90% (5-yr avg 88%, last year 97%)Harvested, week ending Oct 29: 95% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Aug 6Aug 20Sep 3Sep 17Oct 1Oct 15Oct 29
This year5-yr avgLast year

Harvested: 95% as of Oct 29.

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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