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Maine · crop watch

Maine potato crop

USDA last rated the 2024 Maine potato crop for the week ending Sep 29, when 67% was good or excellent. Harvest stood at 95% complete. USDA's November forecast puts the 2024 crop at 18.3 million cwt, up 8.7% from last year's final of 16.8.

Last rated week ending Sep 29, 2024

Good to excellent · last reading

67%of the crop

Share of the 2024 crop rated good or excellent for the week ending Sep 29.

–

95%

Harvested

As of Oct 27.

▼

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, 2024

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, 20240%25%50%75%100%Week ending Jun 30: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 38%, Good 62%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 62% (5-yr avg 72%, last year 61%)Week ending Jul 7: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 29%, Good 62%, Excellent 9% — good+excellent 71% (5-yr avg 75%, last year 44%)Week ending Jul 14: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 30%, Good 61%, Excellent 9% — good+excellent 70% (5-yr avg 78%, last year 43%)Week ending Jul 21: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 19%, Good 69%, Excellent 12% — good+excellent 81% (5-yr avg 85%, last year 70%)Week ending Jul 28: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 10%, Good 78%, Excellent 12% — good+excellent 90% (5-yr avg 79%, last year 39%)Week ending Aug 4: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 18%, Good 68%, Excellent 14% — good+excellent 82% (5-yr avg 79%, last year 51%)Week ending Aug 11: Very poor 0%, Poor 9%, Fair 19%, Good 69%, Excellent 3% — good+excellent 72% (5-yr avg 80%, last year 60%)Week ending Aug 18: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 18%, Good 77%, Excellent 5% — good+excellent 82% (5-yr avg 86%, last year 69%)Week ending Aug 25: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 18%, Good 77%, Excellent 5% — good+excellent 82% (5-yr avg 86%, last year 70%)Week ending Sep 1: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 19%, Good 78%, Excellent 3% — good+excellent 81% (5-yr avg 85%, last year 74%)Week ending Sep 8: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 18%, Good 68%, Excellent 14% — good+excellent 82% (5-yr avg 87%, last year 79%)Week ending Sep 15: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 27%, Good 59%, Excellent 14% — good+excellent 73% (5-yr avg 74%, last year 70%)Week ending Sep 22: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 36%, Good 50%, Excellent 14% — good+excellent 64% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Week ending Sep 29: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 33%, Good 55%, Excellent 12% — good+excellent 67% (5-yr avg —, last year —)−10 pts — week ending Aug 11−10 ptsHarvest begins — week ending Aug 18Harvest beginsUSDA forecast — week ending Sep 29USDA forecastJun 30Jul 14Jul 28Aug 11Aug 25Sep 8Sep 22
Very poorPoorFairGoodExcellent5-yr avg good+excellentLast year

Latest: 67% good or excellent, week ending Sep 29. Hover a bar for the full breakdown.

Field progress

Planted, 2024

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

Maine potato planted, 20240%50%100%Planted, week ending Apr 28: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Planted, week ending May 5: 9% (5-yr avg 3%, last year 11%)Planted, week ending May 12: 28% (5-yr avg 9%, last year 19%)Planted, week ending May 19: 45% (5-yr avg 31%, last year 50%)Planted, week ending May 26: 60% (5-yr avg 52%, last year 70%)Planted, week ending Jun 2: 81% (5-yr avg 63%, last year 82%)Planted, week ending Jun 9: 93% (5-yr avg 79%, last year 90%)Planted, week ending Jun 16: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Apr 28May 5May 12May 19May 26Jun 2Jun 9Jun 16
This year5-yr avgLast year

Planted: 100% as of Jun 16.

Field progress

Emerged, 2024

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

Maine potato emerged, 20240%50%100%Emerged, week ending May 26: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year 0%)Emerged, week ending Jun 2: 0% (5-yr avg 7%, last year 0%)Emerged, week ending Jun 9: 15% (5-yr avg 21%, last year 19%)Emerged, week ending Jun 16: 51% (5-yr avg 46%, last year 48%)Emerged, week ending Jun 23: 85% (5-yr avg 71%, last year 79%)Emerged, week ending Jun 30: 85% (5-yr avg —, last year 92%)Emerged, week ending Jul 7: 95% (5-yr avg —, last year —)May 26Jun 2Jun 9Jun 16Jun 23Jun 30Jul 7
This year5-yr avgLast year

Emerged: 95% as of Jul 7.

Field progress

Blooming, 2024

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

Maine potato blooming, 20240%50%100%Blooming, week ending Jun 23: 5% (5-yr avg —, last year 4%)Blooming, week ending Jun 30: 12% (5-yr avg —, last year 9%)Blooming, week ending Jul 7: 53% (5-yr avg —, last year 16%)Blooming, week ending Jul 14: 76% (5-yr avg —, last year 24%)Blooming, week ending Jul 21: 99% (5-yr avg —, last year 39%)Blooming, week ending Jul 28: 99% (5-yr avg —, last year 48%)Jun 23Jun 30Jul 7Jul 14Jul 21Jul 28
This year5-yr avgLast year

Blooming: 99% as of Jul 28.

Field progress

Harvested, 2024

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

Maine potato harvested, 20240%50%100%Harvested, week ending Aug 11: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year 16%)Harvested, week ending Aug 18: 9% (5-yr avg 7%, last year 25%)Harvested, week ending Aug 25: 11% (5-yr avg 13%, last year 30%)Harvested, week ending Sep 1: 18% (5-yr avg 18%, last year 32%)Harvested, week ending Sep 8: 23% (5-yr avg 28%, last year 36%)Harvested, week ending Sep 15: 29% (5-yr avg 38%, last year 57%)Harvested, week ending Sep 22: 39% (5-yr avg 45%, last year 72%)Harvested, week ending Sep 29: 58% (5-yr avg 61%, last year 76%)Harvested, week ending Oct 6: 67% (5-yr avg 72%, last year 79%)Harvested, week ending Oct 13: 81% (5-yr avg 83%, last year 84%)Harvested, week ending Oct 20: 87% (5-yr avg 92%, last year 89%)Harvested, week ending Oct 27: 95% (5-yr avg —, last year 94%)Aug 11Aug 25Sep 8Sep 22Oct 6Oct 20
This year5-yr avgLast year

Harvested: 95% as of Oct 27.

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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