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Massachusetts · crop watch

Massachusetts apple crop

USDA last rated the 2021 Massachusetts apple crop for the week ending Oct 10, when 100% was good or excellent. Harvest stood at 100% 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 10, 2021

Good to excellent · last reading

100%of the crop

Share of the 2021 crop rated good or excellent for the week ending Oct 10.

–

100%

Harvested

As of Oct 31.

▼

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, 2021

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, 20210%25%50%75%100%Week ending Jun 13: Very poor 25%, Poor 50%, Fair 25%, Good 0%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Week ending Jun 20: Very poor 25%, Poor 50%, Fair 25%, Good 0%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 0% (5-yr avg 89%, last year 100%)Week ending Jun 27: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 40%, Good 40%, Excellent 20% — good+excellent 60% (5-yr avg 91%, last year 100%)Week ending Jul 4: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 40%, Good 40%, Excellent 20% — good+excellent 60% (5-yr avg 87%, last year 100%)Week ending Jul 11: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 20%, Excellent 80% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 87%, last year 100%)Week ending Jul 18: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 20%, Excellent 80% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 88%, last year 98%)Week ending Jul 25: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 60%, Excellent 40% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 89%, last year 98%)Week ending Aug 1: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 50%, Excellent 50% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 75%, last year 50%)Week ending Aug 8: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 40%, Excellent 60% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 75%, last year 50%)Week ending Aug 15: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 20%, Excellent 80% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 76%, last year 50%)Week ending Aug 22: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 12%, Excellent 88% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 75%, last year 50%)Week ending Aug 29: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 10%, Excellent 90% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 75%, last year 50%)Week ending Sep 5: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 38%, Excellent 62% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 75%, last year 50%)Week ending Sep 12: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 30%, Excellent 70% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 76%, last year 50%)Week ending Sep 19: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 33%, Excellent 67% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 76%, last year 50%)Week ending Sep 26: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 32%, Excellent 68% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 50%)Week ending Oct 3: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 20%, Excellent 80% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 50%)Week ending Oct 10: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 40%, Excellent 60% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg —, last year —)USDA forecast — week ending Aug 15USDA forecastHarvest begins — week ending Aug 29Harvest beginsJun 13Jul 4Jul 25Aug 15Sep 5Sep 26
Very poorPoorFairGoodExcellent5-yr avg good+excellentLast year

Latest: 100% good or excellent, week ending Oct 10. Hover a bar for the full breakdown.

Field progress

Green tip, 2021

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

Massachusetts apple green tip, 20210%50%100%Green tip, week ending Apr 11: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Green tip, week ending Apr 18: 9% (5-yr avg —, last year 60%)Green tip, week ending Apr 25: 23% (5-yr avg 34%, last year 79%)Green tip, week ending May 2: 49% (5-yr avg 52%, last year 97%)Green tip, week ending May 9: 70% (5-yr avg 66%, last year 100%)Green tip, week ending May 16: 87% (5-yr avg 83%, last year 100%)Green tip, week ending May 23: 94% (5-yr avg 90%, last year 100%)Green tip, week ending May 30: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 100%)Green tip, week ending Jun 6: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Apr 11Apr 25May 9May 23Jun 6
This year5-yr avgLast year

Green tip: 100% as of Jun 6.

Field progress

Pink, 2021

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

Massachusetts apple pink, 20210%50%100%Pink, week ending Apr 25: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Pink, week ending May 2: 19% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Pink, week ending May 9: 37% (5-yr avg 36%, last year 74%)Pink, week ending May 16: 65% (5-yr avg 56%, last year 84%)Pink, week ending May 23: 82% (5-yr avg 70%, last year 87%)Pink, week ending May 30: 92% (5-yr avg 81%, last year 90%)Pink, week ending Jun 6: 95% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Apr 25May 2May 9May 16May 23May 30Jun 6
This year5-yr avgLast year

Pink: 95% as of Jun 6.

Field progress

Full bloom, 2021

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

Massachusetts apple full bloom, 20210%50%100%Full bloom, week ending May 9: 5% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Full bloom, week ending May 16: 48% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Full bloom, week ending May 23: 65% (5-yr avg 42%, last year 53%)Full bloom, week ending May 30: 70% (5-yr avg 57%, last year 63%)Full bloom, week ending Jun 6: 73% (5-yr avg —, last year 73%)Full bloom, week ending Jun 13: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 92%)Full bloom, week ending Jun 20: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year —)May 9May 16May 23May 30Jun 6Jun 13Jun 20
This year5-yr avgLast year

Full bloom: 100% as of Jun 20.

Field progress

Petal fall, 2021

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

Massachusetts apple petal fall, 20210%50%100%Petal fall, week ending May 9: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Petal fall, week ending May 16: 12% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Petal fall, week ending May 23: 20% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Petal fall, week ending May 30: 27% (5-yr avg 27%, last year 37%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 6: 40% (5-yr avg 48%, last year 53%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 13: 71% (5-yr avg 64%, last year 58%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 20: 95% (5-yr avg —, last year 78%)May 9May 16May 23May 30Jun 6Jun 13Jun 20
This year5-yr avgLast year

Petal fall: 95% as of Jun 20.

Field progress

Fruit set, 2021

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

Massachusetts apple fruit set, 20210%50%100%Fruit set, week ending May 23: 5% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Fruit set, week ending May 30: 7% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Fruit set, week ending Jun 6: 12% (5-yr avg 23%, last year 17%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 13: 46% (5-yr avg 40%, last year 34%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 20: 79% (5-yr avg —, last year 65%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 27: 90% (5-yr avg —, last year 82%)May 23May 30Jun 6Jun 13Jun 20Jun 27
This year5-yr avgLast year

Fruit set: 90% as of Jun 27.

Field progress

Harvested, 2021

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

Massachusetts apple harvested, 20210%50%100%Harvested, week ending Aug 8: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year 0%)Harvested, week ending Aug 15: 0% (5-yr avg 3%, last year 0%)Harvested, week ending Aug 22: 0% (5-yr avg 4%, last year 0%)Harvested, week ending Aug 29: 11% (5-yr avg 7%, last year 0%)Harvested, week ending Sep 5: 20% (5-yr avg 13%, last year 3%)Harvested, week ending Sep 12: 30% (5-yr avg 19%, last year 7%)Harvested, week ending Sep 19: 35% (5-yr avg 27%, last year 19%)Harvested, week ending Sep 26: 50% (5-yr avg 36%, last year 30%)Harvested, week ending Oct 3: 75% (5-yr avg 48%, last year 50%)Harvested, week ending Oct 10: 75% (5-yr avg 59%, last year 67%)Harvested, week ending Oct 17: 80% (5-yr avg 70%, last year 77%)Harvested, week ending Oct 24: 95% (5-yr avg 81%, last year 88%)Harvested, week ending Oct 31: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 96%)Aug 8Aug 22Sep 5Sep 19Oct 3Oct 17Oct 31
This year5-yr avgLast year

Harvested: 100% as of Oct 31.

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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