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Maine · crop watch

Maine potato crop

As of the week ending Sep 27, 79% of the 2026 Maine potato crop is rated good or excellent, versus 56% at this point last year. Harvest is 59% complete (five-year average 51%). USDA's November forecast puts the 2025 crop at 17.3 million cwt, down 5.9% from last year's final of 18.3.

Week ending Sep 27, 2026

Good to excellent

79%of the crop

Share of the 2026 crop rated good or excellent for the week ending Sep 27.

▲

59%

Harvested

+8 points against the five-year pace of 51%.

▼

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, 2026

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, 20260%25%50%75%100%Week ending Jul 5: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 14%, Good 59%, Excellent 27% — good+excellent 86% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Week ending Jul 12: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 2%, Good 50%, Excellent 48% — good+excellent 98% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Week ending Jul 19: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 45%, Good 50%, Excellent 5% — good+excellent 55% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Week ending Jul 26: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 37%, Good 50%, Excellent 13% — good+excellent 63% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Week ending Aug 2: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 29%, Good 59%, Excellent 12% — good+excellent 71% (5-yr avg 83%, last year 80%)Week ending Aug 9: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 20%, Good 68%, Excellent 12% — good+excellent 80% (5-yr avg 82%, last year 80%)Week ending Aug 16: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 20%, Good 68%, Excellent 12% — good+excellent 80% (5-yr avg 84%, last year 73%)Week ending Aug 23: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 21%, Good 68%, Excellent 11% — good+excellent 79% (5-yr avg 85%, last year 72%)Week ending Aug 30: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 21%, Good 68%, Excellent 11% — good+excellent 79% (5-yr avg 81%, last year 66%)Week ending Sep 6: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 21%, Good 68%, Excellent 11% — good+excellent 79% (5-yr avg 82%, last year 66%)Week ending Sep 13: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 21%, Good 68%, Excellent 11% — good+excellent 79% (5-yr avg 76%, last year 56%)Week ending Sep 20: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 21%, Good 68%, Excellent 11% — good+excellent 79% (5-yr avg —, last year 56%)Week ending Sep 27: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 21%, Good 68%, Excellent 11% — good+excellent 79% (5-yr avg —, last year 56%)−43 pts — week ending Jul 19−43 ptsHarvest begins — week ending Aug 30Harvest beginsJul 5Jul 19Aug 2Aug 16Aug 30Sep 13Sep 27
Very poorPoorFairGoodExcellent5-yr avg good+excellentLast year

Latest: 79% good or excellent, week ending Sep 27. Hover a bar for the full breakdown.

Field progress

Planted, 2026

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

Maine potato planted, 20260%50%100%Planted, week ending Apr 26: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Planted, week ending May 3: 1% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Planted, week ending May 10: 5% (5-yr avg 12%, last year 9%)Planted, week ending May 17: 17% (5-yr avg 28%, last year 27%)Planted, week ending May 24: 27% (5-yr avg 52%, last year 54%)Planted, week ending May 31: 72% (5-yr avg 68%, last year 74%)Planted, week ending Jun 7: 86% (5-yr avg 80%, last year 87%)Planted, week ending Jun 14: 99% (5-yr avg —, last year 98%)Apr 26May 3May 10May 17May 24May 31Jun 7Jun 14
This year5-yr avgLast year

Planted: 99% as of Jun 14.

Field progress

Emerged, 2026

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

Maine potato emerged, 20260%50%100%Emerged, week ending Jun 14: 48% (5-yr avg 43%, last year 45%)Emerged, week ending Jun 21: 84% (5-yr avg 70%, last year 73%)Emerged, week ending Jun 28: 86% (5-yr avg 84%, last year 92%)Emerged, week ending Jul 5: 90% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Emerged, week ending Jul 12: 99% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Emerged, week ending Jul 19: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Jun 14Jun 21Jun 28Jul 5Jul 12Jul 19
This year5-yr avgLast year

Emerged: 100% as of Jul 19.

Field progress

Blooming, 2026

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

Maine potato blooming, 20260%50%100%Blooming, week ending Jul 26: 93% (5-yr avg —, last year 91%)Blooming, week ending Aug 2: 99% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Blooming, week ending Aug 9: 99% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Blooming, week ending Aug 16: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Blooming, week ending Aug 23: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Jul 26Aug 2Aug 9Aug 16Aug 23
This year5-yr avgLast year

Blooming: 100% as of Aug 23.

Field progress

Harvested, 2026

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

Maine potato harvested, 20260%50%100%Harvested, week ending Aug 30: 9% (5-yr avg 19%, last year 32%)Harvested, week ending Sep 6: 21% (5-yr avg 23%, last year 33%)Harvested, week ending Sep 13: 32% (5-yr avg 34%, last year 39%)Harvested, week ending Sep 20: 42% (5-yr avg 42%, last year 40%)Harvested, week ending Sep 27: 59% (5-yr avg 51%, last year 49%)Aug 30Sep 6Sep 13Sep 20Sep 27
This year5-yr avgLast year

Harvested: 59% as of Sep 27 (5-yr avg 51%).

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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