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Massachusetts · crop watch

Massachusetts pear crop

USDA last rated the 2023 Massachusetts pear crop for the week ending Oct 8, when 100% was good or excellent, versus 55% at this point last year. Harvest stood at 95% complete.

Last rated week ending Oct 8, 2023

Good to excellent · last reading

100%of the crop

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

–

95%

Harvested

As of Oct 29.

Analysis

Week ending Sep 27

Massachusetts pear harvest far ahead of normal pace

In the week ending September 27, 2026, Massachusetts pears were rated 80% good to excellent, unchanged from the prior week, with 40% in each of the good and excellent categories. Harvest reached 95% complete, well ahead of the five-year average of 51% for this date and above last year's 91% at the same point in the season. Bloom timing matched last year, with full bloom at 100% both seasons. With harvest nearly wrapped up, the next USDA condition report should show whether the crop finishes at this level.

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.

Massachusetts pear crop condition, 20230%25%50%75%100%Week ending Jun 11: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 40%, Good 60%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 60% (5-yr avg —, last year 100%)Week ending Jun 18: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 38%, Good 62%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 62% (5-yr avg 76%, last year 100%)Week ending Jun 25: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 40%, Good 60%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 60% (5-yr avg 83%, last year 100%)Week ending Jul 2: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 35%, Good 65%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 65% (5-yr avg 89%, last year 100%)Week ending Jul 9: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 40%, Good 60%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 60% (5-yr avg 94%, last year 95%)Week ending Jul 16: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 35%, Good 65%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 65% (5-yr avg 94%, last year 95%)Week ending Jul 23: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 35%, Good 65%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 65% (5-yr avg 96%, last year 100%)Week ending Jul 30: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 30%, Good 65%, Excellent 5% — good+excellent 70% (5-yr avg 87%, last year 100%)Week ending Aug 6: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 20%, Good 70%, Excellent 10% — good+excellent 80% (5-yr avg 88%, last year 100%)Week ending Aug 13: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 15%, Good 73%, Excellent 12% — good+excellent 85% (5-yr avg 88%, last year 100%)Week ending Aug 20: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 10%, Good 65%, Excellent 25% — good+excellent 90% (5-yr avg 67%, last year 5%)Week ending Aug 27: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 72%, Excellent 28% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 68%, last year 5%)Week ending Sep 3: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 17%, Good 55%, Excellent 28% — good+excellent 83% (5-yr avg 67%, last year 0%)Week ending Sep 10: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 71%, Excellent 29% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 75%, last year 40%)Week ending Sep 17: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 71%, Excellent 29% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 75%, last year 40%)Week ending Sep 24: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 80%, Excellent 20% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 78%, last year 55%)Week ending Oct 1: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 90%, Excellent 10% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 75%)Week ending Oct 8: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 93%, Excellent 7% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 55%)USDA forecast — week ending Aug 13USDA forecastHarvest begins — week ending Sep 3Harvest begins−17 pts — week ending Sep 3−17 ptsJun 11Jul 2Jul 23Aug 13Sep 3Sep 24
Very poorPoorFairGoodExcellent5-yr avg good+excellentLast year

Latest: 100% 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 pear green tip, 20230%50%100%Green tip, week ending Apr 16: 5% (5-yr avg —, last year 0%)Green tip, week ending Apr 23: 30% (5-yr avg 14%, last year 26%)Green tip, week ending Apr 30: 40% (5-yr avg 33%, last year 47%)Green tip, week ending May 7: 69% (5-yr avg 54%, last year 71%)Green tip, week ending May 14: 89% (5-yr avg 72%, last year 89%)Green tip, week ending May 21: 95% (5-yr avg 85%, last year 99%)Green tip, week ending May 28: 100% (5-yr avg 91%, last year 100%)Apr 16Apr 23Apr 30May 7May 14May 21May 28
This year5-yr avgLast year

Green tip: 100% as of May 28 (5-yr avg 91%).

Field progress

Pink, 2023

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

Massachusetts pear pink, 20230%50%100%Pink, week ending Apr 30: 9% (5-yr avg —, last year 9%)Pink, week ending May 7: 30% (5-yr avg 32%, last year 37%)Pink, week ending May 14: 59% (5-yr avg 53%, last year 74%)Pink, week ending May 21: 80% (5-yr avg 67%, last year 89%)Pink, week ending May 28: 95% (5-yr avg 72%, last year 99%)Pink, week ending Jun 4: 100% (5-yr avg 81%, last year 100%)Apr 30May 7May 14May 21May 28Jun 4
This year5-yr avgLast year

Pink: 100% as of Jun 4 (5-yr avg 81%).

Field progress

Full bloom, 2023

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

Massachusetts pear full bloom, 20230%50%100%Full bloom, week ending May 14: 20% (5-yr avg —, last year 48%)Full bloom, week ending May 21: 40% (5-yr avg 44%, last year 77%)Full bloom, week ending May 28: 87% (5-yr avg 53%, last year 92%)Full bloom, week ending Jun 4: 95% (5-yr avg 62%, last year 99%)Full bloom, week ending Jun 11: 100% (5-yr avg 80%, last year 100%)May 14May 21May 28Jun 4Jun 11
This year5-yr avgLast year

Full bloom: 100% as of Jun 11 (5-yr avg 80%).

Field progress

Petal fall, 2023

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

Massachusetts pear petal fall, 20230%50%100%Petal fall, week ending May 14: 5% (5-yr avg —, last year 32%)Petal fall, week ending May 21: 18% (5-yr avg —, last year 61%)Petal fall, week ending May 28: 63% (5-yr avg 40%, last year 78%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 4: 70% (5-yr avg 50%, last year 92%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 11: 95% (5-yr avg 68%, last year 99%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 18: 100% (5-yr avg 80%, last year 100%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 25: 100% (5-yr avg 85%, last year 100%)May 14May 21May 28Jun 4Jun 11Jun 18Jun 25
This year5-yr avgLast year

Petal fall: 100% as of Jun 25 (5-yr avg 85%).

Field progress

Fruit set, 2023

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

Massachusetts pear fruit set, 20230%50%100%Fruit set, week ending May 21: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Fruit set, week ending May 28: 15% (5-yr avg —, last year 14%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 4: 35% (5-yr avg 14%, last year 40%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 11: 70% (5-yr avg 46%, last year 79%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 18: 89% (5-yr avg 68%, last year 98%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 25: 95% (5-yr avg 77%, last year 100%)Fruit set, week ending Jul 2: 100% (5-yr avg 84%, last year 100%)Fruit set, week ending Jul 9: 100% (5-yr avg 88%, last year 100%)Fruit set, week ending Jul 16: 100% (5-yr avg 92%, last year 100%)Fruit set, week ending Jul 23: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 100%)May 21Jun 4Jun 18Jul 2Jul 16
This year5-yr avgLast year

Fruit set: 100% as of Jul 23.

Field progress

Harvested, 2023

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

Massachusetts pear 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 —)Harvested, week ending Aug 13: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Harvested, week ending Aug 20: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Harvested, week ending Aug 27: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Harvested, week ending Sep 3: 1% (5-yr avg 4%, last year 3%)Harvested, week ending Sep 10: 5% (5-yr avg 8%, last year 7%)Harvested, week ending Sep 17: 10% (5-yr avg 14%, last year 11%)Harvested, week ending Sep 24: 15% (5-yr avg 23%, last year 23%)Harvested, week ending Oct 1: 35% (5-yr avg 42%, last year 39%)Harvested, week ending Oct 8: 50% (5-yr avg 60%, last year 56%)Harvested, week ending Oct 15: 75% (5-yr avg 76%, last year 73%)Harvested, week ending Oct 22: 85% (5-yr avg 89%, last year 92%)Harvested, week ending Oct 29: 95% (5-yr avg —, last year 99%)Jul 30Aug 13Aug 27Sep 10Sep 24Oct 8Oct 22
This year5-yr avgLast year

Harvested: 95% as of Oct 29.

Updated September 29, 2026

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