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Massachusetts · crop watch

Massachusetts apple crop

USDA last rated the 2023 Massachusetts apple crop for the week ending Oct 8, when 82% was good or excellent. 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 8, 2023

Good to excellent · last reading

82%of the crop

Share of the 2023 crop rated good or excellent for the week ending Oct 8.

–

97%

Harvested

As of Oct 29.

▼

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, 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.

2026202520242023202220212020
Massachusetts apple crop condition, 20230%25%50%75%100%Week ending Jun 11: Very poor 0%, Poor 10%, Fair 60%, Good 30%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 30% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Week ending Jun 18: Very poor 0%, Poor 8%, Fair 54%, Good 38%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 38% (5-yr avg 76%, last year 100%)Week ending Jun 25: Very poor 0%, Poor 10%, Fair 60%, Good 30%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 30% (5-yr avg 86%, last year 89%)Week ending Jul 2: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 65%, Good 35%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 35% (5-yr avg 83%, last year 80%)Week ending Jul 9: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 65%, Good 35%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 35% (5-yr avg 93%, last year 90%)Week ending Jul 16: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 50%, Good 50%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 50% (5-yr avg 93%, last year 90%)Week ending Jul 23: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 50%, Good 50%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 50% (5-yr avg 86%, last year 50%)Week ending Jul 30: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 50%, Good 50%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 50% (5-yr avg 75%, last year 50%)Week ending Aug 6: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 25%, Good 60%, Excellent 15% — good+excellent 75% (5-yr avg 79%, last year 70%)Week ending Aug 13: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 15%, Good 65%, Excellent 20% — good+excellent 85% (5-yr avg 81%, last year 78%)Week ending Aug 20: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 10%, Good 65%, Excellent 25% — good+excellent 90% (5-yr avg 79%, last year 70%)Week ending Aug 27: Very poor 0%, Poor 6%, Fair 24%, Good 56%, Excellent 14% — good+excellent 70% (5-yr avg 80%, last year 70%)Week ending Sep 3: Very poor 0%, Poor 7%, Fair 25%, Good 43%, Excellent 25% — good+excellent 68% (5-yr avg 80%, last year 72%)Week ending Sep 10: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 5%, Good 68%, Excellent 27% — good+excellent 95% (5-yr avg 85%, last year 93%)Week ending Sep 17: Very poor 0%, Poor 5%, Fair 15%, Good 35%, Excellent 45% — good+excellent 80% (5-yr avg 80%, last year 70%)Week ending Sep 24: Very poor 0%, Poor 5%, Fair 20%, Good 35%, Excellent 40% — good+excellent 75% (5-yr avg 82%, last year 80%)Week ending Oct 1: Very poor 0%, Poor 5%, Fair 25%, Good 35%, Excellent 35% — good+excellent 70% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Week ending Oct 8: Very poor 0%, Poor 1%, Fair 17%, Good 40%, Excellent 42% — good+excellent 82% (5-yr avg —, last year —)USDA forecast — week ending Aug 13USDA forecast−20 pts — week ending Aug 27−20 ptsHarvest begins — week ending Sep 10Harvest beginsJun 11Jul 2Jul 23Aug 13Sep 3Sep 24
Very poorPoorFairGoodExcellent5-yr avg good+excellentLast year

Latest: 82% good or excellent, week ending Oct 8. Hover a bar for the full breakdown.

Field progress

Green tip, 2023

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

Massachusetts apple green tip, 20230%50%100%Green tip, week ending Apr 16: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year 0%)Green tip, week ending Apr 23: 35% (5-yr avg 23%, last year 14%)Green tip, week ending Apr 30: 50% (5-yr avg 39%, last year 38%)Green tip, week ending May 7: 70% (5-yr avg 57%, last year 62%)Green tip, week ending May 14: 90% (5-yr avg 78%, last year 88%)Green tip, week ending May 21: 95% (5-yr avg 91%, last year 99%)Green tip, week ending May 28: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 100%)Apr 16Apr 23Apr 30May 7May 14May 21May 28
This year5-yr avgLast year

Green tip: 100% as of May 28.

Field progress

Pink, 2023

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

Massachusetts apple pink, 20230%50%100%Pink, week ending Apr 30: 10% (5-yr avg —, last year 0%)Pink, week ending May 7: 23% (5-yr avg 25%, last year 21%)Pink, week ending May 14: 50% (5-yr avg 46%, last year 51%)Pink, week ending May 21: 70% (5-yr avg 69%, last year 85%)Pink, week ending May 28: 89% (5-yr avg 83%, last year 99%)Apr 30May 7May 14May 21May 28
This year5-yr avgLast year

Pink: 89% as of May 28 (5-yr avg 83%).

Field progress

Full bloom, 2023

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

Massachusetts apple full bloom, 20230%50%100%Full bloom, week ending May 14: 30% (5-yr avg —, last year 33%)Full bloom, week ending May 21: 40% (5-yr avg 43%, last year 72%)Full bloom, week ending May 28: 75% (5-yr avg 61%, last year 93%)Full bloom, week ending Jun 4: 95% (5-yr avg 69%, last year 99%)May 14May 21May 28Jun 4
This year5-yr avgLast year

Full bloom: 95% as of Jun 4 (5-yr avg 69%).

Field progress

Petal fall, 2023

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

Massachusetts apple petal fall, 20230%50%100%Petal fall, week ending May 14: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year 9%)Petal fall, week ending May 21: 15% (5-yr avg —, last year 31%)Petal fall, week ending May 28: 50% (5-yr avg 25%, last year 56%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 4: 75% (5-yr avg 38%, last year 73%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 11: 100% (5-yr avg 59%, last year 92%)May 14May 21May 28Jun 4Jun 11
This year5-yr avgLast year

Petal fall: 100% as of Jun 11 (5-yr avg 59%).

Field progress

Fruit set, 2023

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

Massachusetts apple fruit set, 20230%50%100%Fruit set, week ending May 21: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Fruit set, week ending May 28: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year 4%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 4: 25% (5-yr avg 9%, last year 14%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 11: 50% (5-yr avg 29%, last year 54%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 18: 80% (5-yr avg 56%, last year 87%)Fruit set, week ending Jul 2: 10% (5-yr avg —, last year —)May 21May 28Jun 4Jun 11Jun 18Jul 2
This year5-yr avgLast year

Fruit set: 10% as of Jul 2.

Field progress

Harvested, 2023

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

Massachusetts apple harvested, 20230%50%100%Harvested, week ending Jul 30: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Harvested, week ending Aug 6: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year 4%)Harvested, week ending Aug 13: 0% (5-yr avg 2%, last year 6%)Harvested, week ending Aug 20: 0% (5-yr avg 2%, last year 7%)Harvested, week ending Aug 27: 0% (5-yr avg 4%, last year 10%)Harvested, week ending Sep 3: 0% (5-yr avg 9%, last year 13%)Harvested, week ending Sep 10: 8% (5-yr avg 14%, last year 17%)Harvested, week ending Sep 17: 13% (5-yr avg 22%, last year 31%)Harvested, week ending Sep 24: 28% (5-yr avg 33%, last year 45%)Harvested, week ending Oct 1: 45% (5-yr avg 48%, last year 54%)Harvested, week ending Oct 8: 50% (5-yr avg 59%, last year 64%)Harvested, week ending Oct 15: 90% (5-yr avg 69%, last year 78%)Harvested, week ending Oct 22: 95% (5-yr avg 82%, last year 89%)Harvested, week ending Oct 29: 97% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Jul 30Aug 13Aug 27Sep 10Sep 24Oct 8Oct 22
This year5-yr avgLast year

Harvested: 97% 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.

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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