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Massachusetts · crop watch

Massachusetts apple crop

USDA last rated the 2025 Massachusetts apple crop for the week ending Sep 21, when 90% was good or excellent, 13 points above the five-year average of 77%, versus 80% at this point last year. Harvest stood at 75% complete (five-year average 51%). 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 Sep 21, 2025

Good to excellent · last reading

90%of the crop

13 points above the five-year average for this week, and 80% a year ago.

▲

75%

Harvested

+24 points against the five-year pace of 51%.

▼

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, 2025

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, 20250%25%50%75%100%Week ending Jun 15: Very poor 0%, Poor 10%, Fair 20%, Good 40%, Excellent 30% — good+excellent 70% (5-yr avg 60%, last year 65%)Week ending Jun 22: Very poor 0%, Poor 10%, Fair 20%, Good 40%, Excellent 30% — good+excellent 70% (5-yr avg 68%, last year 60%)Week ending Jun 29: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 10%, Good 55%, Excellent 35% — good+excellent 90% (5-yr avg 67%, last year 60%)Week ending Jul 6: Very poor 0%, Poor 15%, Fair 20%, Good 40%, Excellent 25% — good+excellent 65% (5-yr avg 77%, last year 60%)Week ending Jul 13: Very poor 0%, Poor 10%, Fair 10%, Good 50%, Excellent 30% — good+excellent 80% (5-yr avg 80%, last year 60%)Week ending Jul 20: Very poor 0%, Poor 10%, Fair 10%, Good 50%, Excellent 30% — good+excellent 80% (5-yr avg 72%, last year 60%)Week ending Jul 27: Very poor 0%, Poor 5%, Fair 13%, Good 52%, Excellent 30% — good+excellent 82% (5-yr avg 60%, last year 50%)Week ending Aug 3: Very poor 0%, Poor 10%, Fair 10%, Good 50%, Excellent 30% — good+excellent 80% (5-yr avg 71%, last year 60%)Week ending Aug 10: Very poor 0%, Poor 10%, Fair 10%, Good 40%, Excellent 40% — good+excellent 80% (5-yr avg 75%, last year 60%)Week ending Aug 17: Very poor 0%, Poor 10%, Fair 10%, Good 40%, Excellent 40% — good+excellent 80% (5-yr avg 78%, last year 80%)Week ending Aug 24: Very poor 0%, Poor 10%, Fair 10%, Good 30%, Excellent 50% — good+excellent 80% (5-yr avg 70%, last year 60%)Week ending Aug 31: Very poor 0%, Poor 5%, Fair 5%, Good 10%, Excellent 80% — good+excellent 90% (5-yr avg 69%, last year 55%)Week ending Sep 7: Very poor 0%, Poor 5%, Fair 5%, Good 10%, Excellent 80% — good+excellent 90% (5-yr avg 83%, last year 75%)Week ending Sep 14: Very poor 0%, Poor 5%, Fair 5%, Good 10%, Excellent 80% — good+excellent 90% (5-yr avg 76%, last year 80%)Week ending Sep 21: Very poor 0%, Poor 5%, Fair 5%, Good 10%, Excellent 80% — good+excellent 90% (5-yr avg 77%, last year 80%)−25 pts — week ending Jul 6−25 ptsHarvest begins — week ending Aug 10Harvest beginsUSDA forecast — week ending Aug 17USDA forecastJun 15Jun 29Jul 13Jul 27Aug 10Aug 24Sep 7Sep 21
Very poorPoorFairGoodExcellent5-yr avg good+excellentLast year

Latest: 90% good or excellent, week ending Sep 21. Hover a bar for the full breakdown.

Field progress

Green tip, 2025

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

Massachusetts apple green tip, 20250%50%100%Green tip, week ending Apr 13: 31% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Green tip, week ending Apr 20: 60% (5-yr avg 40%, last year 90%)Green tip, week ending Apr 27: 93% (5-yr avg 57%, last year 100%)Green tip, week ending May 4: 98% (5-yr avg 74%, last year 100%)Green tip, week ending May 11: 100% (5-yr avg 87%, last year 100%)Apr 13Apr 20Apr 27May 4May 11
This year5-yr avgLast year

Green tip: 100% as of May 11 (5-yr avg 87%).

Field progress

Pink, 2025

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

Massachusetts apple pink, 20250%50%100%Pink, week ending May 4: 29% (5-yr avg 23%, last year 19%)Pink, week ending May 11: 59% (5-yr avg 49%, last year 41%)Pink, week ending May 18: 100% (5-yr avg 71%, last year 71%)Pink, week ending May 25: 100% (5-yr avg 89%, last year 96%)May 4May 11May 18May 25
This year5-yr avgLast year

Pink: 100% as of May 25 (5-yr avg 89%).

Field progress

Full bloom, 2025

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

Massachusetts apple full bloom, 20250%50%100%Full bloom, week ending May 11: 29% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Full bloom, week ending May 18: 80% (5-yr avg 44%, last year 41%)Full bloom, week ending May 25: 88% (5-yr avg 68%, last year 72%)Full bloom, week ending Jun 1: 97% (5-yr avg 80%, last year 79%)Full bloom, week ending Jun 8: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 92%)May 11May 18May 25Jun 1Jun 8
This year5-yr avgLast year

Full bloom: 100% as of Jun 8.

Field progress

Petal fall, 2025

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

Massachusetts apple petal fall, 20250%50%100%Petal fall, week ending May 25: 31% (5-yr avg 30%, last year 20%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 1: 79% (5-yr avg 49%, last year 42%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 8: 93% (5-yr avg 70%, last year 75%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 15: 98% (5-yr avg —, last year 93%)May 25Jun 1Jun 8Jun 15
This year5-yr avgLast year

Petal fall: 98% as of Jun 15.

Field progress

Fruit set, 2025

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

Massachusetts apple fruit set, 20250%50%100%Fruit set, week ending Jun 1: 31% (5-yr avg 14%, last year 23%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 8: 75% (5-yr avg 35%, last year 58%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 15: 93% (5-yr avg 61%, last year 69%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 22: 98% (5-yr avg —, last year 95%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 29: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 99%)Jun 1Jun 8Jun 15Jun 22Jun 29
This year5-yr avgLast year

Fruit set: 100% as of Jun 29.

Field progress

Harvested, 2025

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

Massachusetts apple harvested, 20250%50%100%Harvested, week ending Jul 13: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Harvested, week ending Aug 10: 1% (5-yr avg 1%, last year 1%)Harvested, week ending Aug 17: 5% (5-yr avg 2%, last year 2%)Harvested, week ending Aug 24: 5% (5-yr avg 3%, last year 5%)Harvested, week ending Aug 31: 20% (5-yr avg 7%, last year 8%)Harvested, week ending Sep 7: 35% (5-yr avg 12%, last year 15%)Harvested, week ending Sep 14: 50% (5-yr avg 22%, last year 32%)Harvested, week ending Sep 21: 53% (5-yr avg 34%, last year 48%)Harvested, week ending Sep 28: 75% (5-yr avg 51%, last year 75%)Jul 13Aug 17Aug 31Sep 14Sep 28
This year5-yr avgLast year

Harvested: 75% as of Sep 28 (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.

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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