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Massachusetts · crop watch

Massachusetts apple crop

USDA last rated the 2020 Massachusetts apple crop for the week ending Oct 4, when 50% was good or excellent, versus 80% at this point last year. Harvest stood at 97% complete. USDA's August forecast puts the 2018 crop at 43.4 million lb, down 12.5% from last year's final of 49.6.

Last rated week ending Oct 4, 2020

Good to excellent · last reading

50%of the crop

Share of the 2020 crop rated good or excellent for the week ending Oct 4.

–

97%

Harvested

As of Nov 1.

▼

43.4

million lb, 2018 forecast

−12.5% against last year's final crop.

Analysis

Week ending Sep 27

Massachusetts apple harvest ahead of average pace

For the week ending September 27, 90% of Massachusetts' apple crop was rated good to excellent, unchanged from the previous week. Harvest reached 65% complete, ahead of the five-year average of 56% but behind last year's 72% pace at the same point. USDA's August 2018 forecast put the crop at 43.4 million pounds, down 12.5% from last year's 49.6 million pound final, though still well above the 31 million pound crop two years earlier. With harvest still underway, the next progress report will show whether the state closes the gap on last year's pace.

Written from USDA data and source reports

Weekly ratings

Crop condition, 2020

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
Massachusetts apple crop condition, 20200%25%50%75%100%Week ending Jun 21: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 100%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 89%, last year 82%)Week ending Jun 28: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 100%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 91%, last year 80%)Week ending Jul 5: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 100%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 87%, last year 80%)Week ending Jul 12: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 100%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 87%, last year 80%)Week ending Jul 19: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 2%, Good 90%, Excellent 8% — good+excellent 98% (5-yr avg 88%, last year 80%)Week ending Jul 26: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 2%, Good 90%, Excellent 8% — good+excellent 98% (5-yr avg 90%, last year 89%)Week ending Aug 2: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 50%, Good 50%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 50% (5-yr avg 85%, last year 80%)Week ending Aug 9: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 50%, Good 50%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 50% (5-yr avg 84%, last year 80%)Week ending Aug 16: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 50%, Good 50%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 50% (5-yr avg 85%, last year 84%)Week ending Aug 23: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 50%, Good 50%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 50% (5-yr avg 84%, last year 80%)Week ending Aug 30: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 50%, Good 50%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 50% (5-yr avg 84%, last year 85%)Week ending Sep 6: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 50%, Good 50%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 50% (5-yr avg 84%, last year 85%)Week ending Sep 13: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 50%, Good 50%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 50% (5-yr avg 86%, last year 85%)Week ending Sep 20: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 50%, Good 50%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 50% (5-yr avg 85%, last year 85%)Week ending Sep 27: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 50%, Good 50%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 50% (5-yr avg —, last year 85%)Week ending Oct 4: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 50%, Good 50%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 50% (5-yr avg —, last year 80%)−48 pts — week ending Aug 2−48 ptsUSDA forecast — week ending Aug 16USDA forecastHarvest begins — week ending Sep 6Harvest beginsJun 21Jul 5Jul 19Aug 2Aug 16Aug 30Sep 13Sep 27
Very poorPoorFairGoodExcellent5-yr avg good+excellentLast year

Latest: 50% good or excellent, week ending Oct 4. Hover a bar for the full breakdown.

Field progress

Green tip, 2020

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

Massachusetts apple green tip, 20200%50%100%Green tip, week ending Apr 12: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Green tip, week ending Apr 19: 70% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Green tip, week ending Apr 26: 80% (5-yr avg 20%, last year 13%)Green tip, week ending May 3: 100% (5-yr avg 54%, last year 36%)Green tip, week ending May 10: 100% (5-yr avg 68%, last year 66%)Green tip, week ending May 17: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 93%)Green tip, week ending May 24: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 100%)Green tip, week ending May 31: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Apr 12Apr 19Apr 26May 3May 10May 17May 24May 31
This year5-yr avgLast year

Green tip: 100% as of May 31.

Field progress

Pink, 2020

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

Massachusetts apple pink, 20200%50%100%Pink, week ending May 3: 40% (5-yr avg 9%, last year 0%)Pink, week ending May 10: 80% (5-yr avg 34%, last year 18%)Pink, week ending May 17: 85% (5-yr avg 56%, last year 43%)Pink, week ending May 24: 87% (5-yr avg 73%, last year 68%)Pink, week ending May 31: 90% (5-yr avg 84%, last year 82%)May 3May 10May 17May 24May 31
This year5-yr avgLast year

Pink: 90% as of May 31 (5-yr avg 84%).

Field progress

Full bloom, 2020

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

Massachusetts apple full bloom, 20200%50%100%Full bloom, week ending May 17: 30% (5-yr avg 27%, last year 18%)Full bloom, week ending May 24: 57% (5-yr avg 41%, last year 43%)Full bloom, week ending May 31: 64% (5-yr avg 63%, last year 64%)Full bloom, week ending Jun 7: 75% (5-yr avg —, last year 84%)Full bloom, week ending Jun 14: 95% (5-yr avg —, last year 97%)May 17May 24May 31Jun 7Jun 14
This year5-yr avgLast year

Full bloom: 95% as of Jun 14.

Field progress

Petal fall, 2020

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

Massachusetts apple petal fall, 20200%50%100%Petal fall, week ending May 24: 23% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Petal fall, week ending May 31: 39% (5-yr avg 29%, last year 17%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 7: 55% (5-yr avg 53%, last year 49%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 14: 58% (5-yr avg 73%, last year 67%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 21: 81% (5-yr avg —, last year 75%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 28: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 93%)May 24May 31Jun 7Jun 14Jun 21Jun 28
This year5-yr avgLast year

Petal fall: 100% as of Jun 28.

Field progress

Fruit set, 2020

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

Massachusetts apple fruit set, 20200%50%100%Fruit set, week ending May 31: 15% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Fruit set, week ending Jun 7: 17% (5-yr avg 29%, last year 7%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 14: 37% (5-yr avg 53%, last year 31%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 21: 70% (5-yr avg —, last year 42%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 28: 84% (5-yr avg —, last year 52%)Fruit set, week ending Jul 5: 85% (5-yr avg —, last year 80%)Fruit set, week ending Jul 12: 94% (5-yr avg —, last year 96%)May 31Jun 7Jun 14Jun 21Jun 28Jul 5Jul 12
This year5-yr avgLast year

Fruit set: 94% as of Jul 12.

Field progress

Harvested, 2020

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

Massachusetts apple harvested, 20200%50%100%Harvested, week ending Aug 2: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Harvested, week ending Aug 9: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Harvested, week ending Aug 16: 0% (5-yr avg 4%, last year 0%)Harvested, week ending Aug 23: 0% (5-yr avg 6%, last year 0%)Harvested, week ending Aug 30: 0% (5-yr avg 10%, last year 0%)Harvested, week ending Sep 6: 4% (5-yr avg 18%, last year 4%)Harvested, week ending Sep 13: 7% (5-yr avg 25%, last year 8%)Harvested, week ending Sep 20: 21% (5-yr avg 34%, last year 10%)Harvested, week ending Sep 27: 32% (5-yr avg 43%, last year 25%)Harvested, week ending Oct 4: 53% (5-yr avg 53%, last year 44%)Harvested, week ending Oct 11: 69% (5-yr avg 61%, last year 61%)Harvested, week ending Oct 18: 78% (5-yr avg 73%, last year 74%)Harvested, week ending Oct 25: 90% (5-yr avg 83%, last year 78%)Harvested, week ending Nov 1: 97% (5-yr avg —, last year 90%)Aug 2Aug 16Aug 30Sep 13Sep 27Oct 11Oct 25
This year5-yr avgLast year

Harvested: 97% as of Nov 1.

Forecast record

How the forecast moved to final

Each season's first USDA forecast against the final estimate, with the revision between them.

Massachusetts apple crop: USDA first forecast vs final0204060million lb2010: no forecast · final 37.0 million lb20102011: no forecast · final 38.5 million lb20112012: no forecast · final 28.0 million lb20122013: no forecast · final 43.5 million lb20132014: no forecast · final 43.3 million lb20142015: no forecast · final 44.6 million lb20152016: no forecast · final 31.0 million lb20162017: no forecast · final 49.6 million lb20172018: Aug forecast 43.4 million lb · final pending2018
First forecastFinalFinal pending
Crop yearFirst forecast (million lb)FinalRevisionCrop valueShare of US
201843.4 Augustpending———
2017—49.6—$19M0.4%
2016—31.0—$13M0.3%
2015—44.6—$23M0.4%
2014—43.3—$20M0.4%
2013—43.5—$21M0.4%
2012—28.0—$17M0.3%
2011—38.5—$22M0.4%
2010—37.0—$19M0.4%

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.

Massachusetts apple crop: fresh market vs processing0204060million lb2010: fresh 27.0, processing 7.0, not sold 0.0 million lb — 79% fresh20102011: fresh 31.0, processing 5.0, not sold 0.5 million lb — 85% fresh20112012: fresh 23.0, processing 4.5, not sold 0.0 million lb — 84% fresh20122013: fresh 25.5, processing 15.0, not sold 1.0 million lb — 61% fresh20132014: fresh 28.3, processing 12.0, not sold 0.5 million lb — 69% fresh20142015: fresh 30.7, processing 13.2, not sold 0.7 million lb — 69% fresh20152016: fresh 22.5, processing 7.9, not sold 0.6 million lb — 73% fresh20162017: fresh 31.0, processing 17.5, not sold 1.1 million lb — 63% 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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