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Maryland · crop watch

Maryland apple crop

USDA last rated the 2023 Maryland apple crop for the week ending Sep 24, when 80% was good or excellent, versus 72% at this point last year. Harvest stood at 96% complete. USDA's August forecast puts the 2018 crop at 39.6 million lb, down 18.2% from last year's final of 48.4.

Last rated week ending Sep 24, 2023

Good to excellent · last reading

80%of the crop

Share of the 2023 crop rated good or excellent for the week ending Sep 24.

–

96%

Harvested

As of Oct 29.

▼

39.6

million lb, 2018 forecast

−18.2% against last year's final crop.

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.

20242023202220212020
Maryland apple crop condition, 20230%25%50%75%100%Week ending May 21: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 96%, Excellent 4% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Week ending May 28: Very poor 0%, Poor 1%, Fair 2%, Good 97%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 97% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Week ending Jun 4: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 12%, Good 88%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 88% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Week ending Jun 11: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 3%, Good 97%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 97% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Week ending Jun 18: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 3%, Good 97%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 97% (5-yr avg 87%, last year 71%)Week ending Jun 25: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 4%, Good 96%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 96% (5-yr avg 86%, last year 80%)Week ending Jul 2: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 4%, Good 96%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 96% (5-yr avg 86%, last year 70%)Week ending Jul 9: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 100%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 84%, last year 65%)Week ending Jul 16: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 100%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 86%, last year 64%)Week ending Jul 23: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 98%, Excellent 2% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 89%, last year 73%)Week ending Jul 30: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 1%, Good 98%, Excellent 1% — good+excellent 99% (5-yr avg 88%, last year 65%)Week ending Aug 6: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 98%, Excellent 2% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 86%, last year 56%)Week ending Aug 13: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 98%, Excellent 2% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 90%, last year 68%)Week ending Aug 20: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 99%, Excellent 1% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 89%, last year 67%)Week ending Aug 27: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 98%, Excellent 2% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 87%, last year 66%)Week ending Sep 3: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 9%, Good 89%, Excellent 2% — good+excellent 91% (5-yr avg 90%, last year 75%)Week ending Sep 10: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 15%, Good 83%, Excellent 2% — good+excellent 85% (5-yr avg 83%, last year 59%)Week ending Sep 17: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 21%, Good 77%, Excellent 2% — good+excellent 79% (5-yr avg —, last year 57%)Week ending Sep 24: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 20%, Good 80%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 80% (5-yr avg —, last year 72%)−9 pts — week ending Jun 4−9 ptsHarvest begins — week ending Jul 23Harvest beginsUSDA forecast — week ending Aug 13USDA forecastMay 21Jun 11Jul 2Jul 23Aug 13Sep 3Sep 24
Very poorPoorFairGoodExcellent5-yr avg good+excellentLast year

Latest: 80% good or excellent, week ending Sep 24. Hover a bar for the full breakdown.

Field progress

Full bloom, 2023

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

Maryland apple full bloom, 20230%50%100%Full bloom, week ending Apr 16: 37% (5-yr avg —, last year 17%)Full bloom, week ending Apr 23: 70% (5-yr avg 32%, last year 47%)Full bloom, week ending Apr 30: 80% (5-yr avg 57%, last year 66%)Full bloom, week ending May 7: 82% (5-yr avg 74%, last year 72%)Full bloom, week ending May 14: 93% (5-yr avg 81%, last year 76%)Full bloom, week ending May 21: 98% (5-yr avg 90%, last year 84%)Apr 16Apr 23Apr 30May 7May 14May 21
This year5-yr avgLast year

Full bloom: 98% as of May 21 (5-yr avg 90%).

Field progress

Petal fall, 2023

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

Maryland apple petal fall, 20230%50%100%Petal fall, week ending May 7: 8% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Petal fall, week ending May 14: 12% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Petal fall, week ending May 21: 24% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Petal fall, week ending May 28: 82% (5-yr avg —, last year 72%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 4: 94% (5-yr avg —, last year 78%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 11: 98% (5-yr avg —, last year 84%)May 7May 14May 21May 28Jun 4Jun 11
This year5-yr avgLast year

Petal fall: 98% as of Jun 11.

Field progress

Fruit set, 2023

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

Maryland apple fruit set, 20230%50%100%Fruit set, week ending Jun 4: 41% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Fruit set, week ending Jun 11: 68% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Fruit set, week ending Jun 18: 75% (5-yr avg —, last year 57%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 25: 82% (5-yr avg —, last year 77%)Fruit set, week ending Jul 2: 95% (5-yr avg —, last year 85%)Jun 4Jun 11Jun 18Jun 25Jul 2
This year5-yr avgLast year

Fruit set: 95% as of Jul 2.

Field progress

Harvested, 2023

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

Maryland apple harvested, 20230%50%100%Harvested, week ending Jul 23: 2% (5-yr avg —, last year 5%)Harvested, week ending Jul 30: 6% (5-yr avg —, last year 7%)Harvested, week ending Aug 6: 10% (5-yr avg —, last year 8%)Harvested, week ending Aug 13: 14% (5-yr avg —, last year 11%)Harvested, week ending Aug 20: 18% (5-yr avg —, last year 14%)Harvested, week ending Aug 27: 24% (5-yr avg 19%, last year 19%)Harvested, week ending Sep 3: 38% (5-yr avg 26%, last year 30%)Harvested, week ending Sep 10: 50% (5-yr avg 36%, last year 38%)Harvested, week ending Sep 17: 58% (5-yr avg 45%, last year 47%)Harvested, week ending Sep 24: 70% (5-yr avg 54%, last year 59%)Harvested, week ending Oct 1: 77% (5-yr avg 64%, last year 72%)Harvested, week ending Oct 8: 85% (5-yr avg 74%, last year 83%)Harvested, week ending Oct 15: 90% (5-yr avg 82%, last year 93%)Harvested, week ending Oct 22: 92% (5-yr avg 89%, last year 95%)Harvested, week ending Oct 29: 96% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Jul 23Aug 6Aug 20Sep 3Sep 17Oct 1Oct 15Oct 29
This year5-yr avgLast year

Harvested: 96% 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.

Maryland apple crop: USDA first forecast vs final0204060million lb2010: no forecast · final 42.5 million lb20102011: no forecast · final 40.0 million lb20112012: no forecast · final 35.0 million lb20122013: no forecast · final 36.8 million lb20132014: no forecast · final 47.9 million lb20142015: no forecast · final 43.4 million lb20152016: no forecast · final 40.6 million lb20162017: no forecast · final 48.4 million lb20172018: Aug forecast 39.6 million lb · final pending2018
First forecastFinalFinal pending
Crop yearFirst forecast (million lb)FinalRevisionCrop valueShare of US
201839.6 Augustpending———
2017—48.4—$9M0.4%
2016—40.6—$11M0.4%
2015—43.4—$9M0.4%
2014—47.9—$12M0.4%
2013—36.8—$7M0.3%
2012—35.0—$14M0.4%
2011—40.0—$10M0.4%
2010—42.5—$8M0.5%

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.

Utilization

Where the crop went

Fresh market against processing and unsold volume, by crop year.

Maryland apple crop: fresh market vs processing0204060million lb2010: fresh 14.0, processing 28.0, not sold 0.2 million lb — 33% fresh20102011: fresh 18.0, processing 21.0, not sold 0.7 million lb — 45% fresh20112012: fresh 16.7, processing 18.0, not sold 0.3 million lb — 48% fresh20122013: fresh 12.6, processing 23.8, not sold 0.2 million lb — 34% fresh20132014: fresh 16.2, processing 31.5, not sold 0.1 million lb — 34% fresh20142015: fresh 0.0, processing 0.0, not sold 0.1 million lb — 0% fresh20152016: fresh 17.0, processing 23.5, not sold 0.1 million lb — 42% fresh20162017: fresh 16.4, processing 31.6, not sold 0.4 million lb — 34% fresh2017
Fresh marketProcessingNot sold

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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