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Maine · crop watch

Maine potato crop

USDA last rated the 2025 Maine potato crop for the week ending Sep 28, when 56% was good or excellent, versus 67% at this point last year. Harvest stood at 50% complete (five-year average 60%). USDA's November forecast puts the 2025 crop at 17.3 million cwt, down 5.9% from last year's final of 18.3.

Last rated week ending Sep 28, 2025

Good to excellent · last reading

56%of the crop

Share of the 2025 crop rated good or excellent for the week ending Sep 28.

▼

50%

Harvested

−10 points against the five-year pace of 60%.

▼

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, 2025

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, 20250%25%50%75%100%Week ending Aug 3: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 20%, Good 59%, Excellent 21% — good+excellent 80% (5-yr avg 78%, last year 82%)Week ending Aug 10: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 20%, Good 50%, Excellent 30% — good+excellent 80% (5-yr avg 76%, last year 72%)Week ending Aug 17: Very poor 0%, Poor 1%, Fair 26%, Good 50%, Excellent 23% — good+excellent 73% (5-yr avg 87%, last year 82%)Week ending Aug 24: Very poor 0%, Poor 2%, Fair 26%, Good 49%, Excellent 23% — good+excellent 72% (5-yr avg 86%, last year 82%)Week ending Aug 31: Very poor 0%, Poor 2%, Fair 32%, Good 39%, Excellent 27% — good+excellent 66% (5-yr avg 85%, last year 81%)Week ending Sep 7: Very poor 0%, Poor 2%, Fair 32%, Good 39%, Excellent 27% — good+excellent 66% (5-yr avg 87%, last year 82%)Week ending Sep 14: Very poor 1%, Poor 2%, Fair 41%, Good 38%, Excellent 18% — good+excellent 56% (5-yr avg 73%, last year 73%)Week ending Sep 21: Very poor 1%, Poor 3%, Fair 40%, Good 38%, Excellent 18% — good+excellent 56% (5-yr avg —, last year 64%)Week ending Sep 28: Very poor 1%, Poor 3%, Fair 40%, Good 38%, Excellent 18% — good+excellent 56% (5-yr avg —, last year 67%)Harvest begins — week ending Aug 10Harvest begins−10 pts — week ending Sep 14−10 ptsUSDA forecast — week ending Sep 28USDA forecastAug 3Aug 17Aug 31Sep 14Sep 28
Very poorPoorFairGoodExcellent5-yr avg good+excellentLast year

Latest: 56% good or excellent, week ending Sep 28. Hover a bar for the full breakdown.

Field progress

Planted, 2025

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

Maine potato planted, 20250%50%100%Planted, week ending May 4: 1% (5-yr avg 4%, last year 8%)Planted, week ending May 11: 10% (5-yr avg 12%, last year 25%)Planted, week ending May 18: 30% (5-yr avg 31%, last year 43%)Planted, week ending May 25: 58% (5-yr avg 57%, last year 58%)Planted, week ending Jun 1: 77% (5-yr avg 70%, last year 78%)Planted, week ending Jun 8: 89% (5-yr avg 80%, last year 91%)Planted, week ending Jun 15: 99% (5-yr avg —, last year 99%)May 4May 11May 18May 25Jun 1Jun 8Jun 15
This year5-yr avgLast year

Planted: 99% as of Jun 15.

Field progress

Emerged, 2025

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

Maine potato emerged, 20250%50%100%Emerged, week ending Jun 8: 36% (5-yr avg 20%, last year 13%)Emerged, week ending Jun 15: 47% (5-yr avg 45%, last year 46%)Emerged, week ending Jun 22: 77% (5-yr avg 72%, last year 80%)Emerged, week ending Jun 29: 95% (5-yr avg —, last year 85%)Jun 8Jun 15Jun 22Jun 29
This year5-yr avgLast year

Emerged: 95% as of Jun 29.

Field progress

Blooming, 2025

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

Maine potato blooming, 20250%50%100%Blooming, week ending Jun 29: 5% (5-yr avg 9%, last year 11%)Blooming, week ending Jul 6: 23% (5-yr avg 30%, last year 47%)Blooming, week ending Jul 13: 42% (5-yr avg 51%, last year 73%)Blooming, week ending Jul 20: 70% (5-yr avg 68%, last year 96%)Blooming, week ending Jul 27: 95% (5-yr avg —, last year 99%)Jun 29Jul 6Jul 13Jul 20Jul 27
This year5-yr avgLast year

Blooming: 95% as of Jul 27.

Field progress

Harvested, 2025

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

Maine potato harvested, 20250%50%100%Harvested, week ending Aug 10: 10% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Harvested, week ending Aug 17: 15% (5-yr avg 7%, last year 8%)Harvested, week ending Aug 24: 28% (5-yr avg 13%, last year 11%)Harvested, week ending Aug 31: 33% (5-yr avg 19%, last year 17%)Harvested, week ending Sep 7: 33% (5-yr avg 29%, last year 22%)Harvested, week ending Sep 14: 40% (5-yr avg 40%, last year 28%)Harvested, week ending Sep 21: 40% (5-yr avg 48%, last year 38%)Harvested, week ending Sep 28: 50% (5-yr avg 60%, last year 55%)Aug 10Aug 17Aug 24Aug 31Sep 7Sep 14Sep 21Sep 28
This year5-yr avgLast year

Harvested: 50% as of Sep 28 (5-yr avg 60%).

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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