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New Jersey · crop watch

New Jersey apple crop

USDA last rated the 2020 New Jersey apple crop for the week ending Oct 11, when 50% was good or excellent, versus 50% at this point last year. Harvest stood at 97% complete. USDA's August forecast puts the 2018 crop at 49.2 million lb, up 27.8% from last year's final of 38.5.

Last rated week ending Oct 11, 2020

Good to excellent · last reading

50%of the crop

Share of the 2020 crop rated good or excellent for the week ending Oct 11.

–

97%

Harvested

As of Nov 15.

▲

49.2

million lb, 2018 forecast

+27.8% against last year's final crop.

Analysis

Week ending Sep 27

New Jersey apple crop condition falls to zero

For the week ending September 27, 2026, New Jersey rated no apples in the good or excellent categories, unchanged from the prior week but far below the 75% good-to-excellent share reported the same week last year. Ninety percent of the crop was scored poor or very poor, with only 10% rated fair. Harvest reached 50% complete, trailing last year's 58% pace at this point. The season has now carried 14 weeks of condition ratings. Watch USDA's next weekly report for whether harvest catches up before the window closes.

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
New Jersey apple crop condition, 20200%25%50%75%100%Week ending Jul 5: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 50%, Good 50%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 50% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Week ending Jul 12: Very poor 0%, Poor 15%, Fair 65%, Good 20%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 20% (5-yr avg —, last year 57%)Week ending Jul 19: Very poor 0%, Poor 15%, Fair 65%, Good 20%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 20% (5-yr avg —, last year 61%)Week ending Jul 26: Very poor 0%, Poor 15%, Fair 65%, Good 20%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 20% (5-yr avg —, last year 65%)Week ending Aug 2: Very poor 0%, Poor 10%, Fair 65%, Good 25%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 25% (5-yr avg —, last year 57%)Week ending Aug 9: Very poor 0%, Poor 10%, Fair 65%, Good 25%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 25% (5-yr avg —, last year 55%)Week ending Aug 16: Very poor 0%, Poor 10%, Fair 65%, Good 25%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 25% (5-yr avg —, last year 56%)Week ending Aug 23: Very poor 0%, Poor 10%, Fair 65%, Good 25%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 25% (5-yr avg —, last year 55%)Week ending Aug 30: Very poor 0%, Poor 10%, Fair 65%, Good 25%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 25% (5-yr avg —, last year 50%)Week ending Sep 6: Very poor 0%, Poor 10%, Fair 65%, Good 25%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 25% (5-yr avg —, last year 50%)Week ending Sep 13: Very poor 0%, Poor 10%, Fair 65%, Good 25%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 25% (5-yr avg —, last year 50%)Week ending Sep 20: Very poor 0%, Poor 9%, Fair 64%, Good 27%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 27% (5-yr avg —, last year 50%)Week ending Sep 27: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 64%, Good 36%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 36% (5-yr avg —, last year 50%)Week ending Oct 4: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 100%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 50%)Week ending Oct 11: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 50%, Good 50%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 50% (5-yr avg —, last year 50%)USDA forecast — week ending Aug 16USDA forecastHarvest begins — week ending Sep 20Harvest begins−50 pts — week ending Oct 11−50 ptsJul 5Jul 19Aug 2Aug 16Aug 30Sep 13Sep 27Oct 11
Very poorPoorFairGoodExcellent5-yr avg good+excellentLast year

Latest: 50% good or excellent, week ending Oct 11. Hover a bar for the full breakdown.

Field progress

Green tip, 2020

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

New Jersey apple green tip, 20200%50%100%Green tip, week ending Apr 5: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Green tip, week ending Apr 12: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year 49%)Green tip, week ending Apr 19: 53% (5-yr avg 43%, last year 61%)Green tip, week ending Apr 26: 55% (5-yr avg 58%, last year 64%)Green tip, week ending May 3: 55% (5-yr avg 69%, last year 76%)Green tip, week ending May 10: 68% (5-yr avg 74%, last year 81%)Green tip, week ending May 17: 81% (5-yr avg —, last year 82%)Green tip, week ending May 24: 88% (5-yr avg —, last year 84%)Green tip, week ending May 31: 90% (5-yr avg —, last year 89%)Apr 5Apr 19May 3May 17May 31
This year5-yr avgLast year

Green tip: 90% as of May 31.

Field progress

Pink, 2020

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

New Jersey apple pink, 20200%50%100%Pink, week ending Apr 12: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Pink, week ending Apr 19: 1% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Pink, week ending Apr 26: 1% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Pink, week ending May 3: 1% (5-yr avg 51%, last year 52%)Pink, week ending May 10: 58% (5-yr avg 64%, last year 65%)Pink, week ending May 17: 67% (5-yr avg 69%, last year 68%)Pink, week ending May 24: 74% (5-yr avg —, last year 71%)Pink, week ending May 31: 80% (5-yr avg —, last year 76%)Apr 12Apr 19Apr 26May 3May 10May 17May 24May 31
This year5-yr avgLast year

Pink: 80% as of May 31.

Field progress

Full bloom, 2020

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

New Jersey apple full bloom, 20200%50%100%Full bloom, week ending Apr 26: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Full bloom, week ending May 3: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year 24%)Full bloom, week ending May 10: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year 31%)Full bloom, week ending May 17: 40% (5-yr avg 41%, last year 39%)Full bloom, week ending May 24: 49% (5-yr avg —, last year 51%)Full bloom, week ending May 31: 75% (5-yr avg —, last year 59%)Apr 26May 3May 10May 17May 24May 31
This year5-yr avgLast year

Full bloom: 75% as of May 31.

Field progress

Harvested, 2020

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

New Jersey apple harvested, 20200%50%100%Harvested, week ending Sep 20: 32% (5-yr avg 32%, last year 36%)Harvested, week ending Sep 27: 56% (5-yr avg 43%, last year 39%)Harvested, week ending Oct 4: 60% (5-yr avg —, last year 44%)Harvested, week ending Oct 11: 70% (5-yr avg —, last year 46%)Harvested, week ending Oct 18: 73% (5-yr avg —, last year 56%)Harvested, week ending Oct 25: 75% (5-yr avg —, last year 77%)Harvested, week ending Nov 1: 88% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Harvested, week ending Nov 8: 93% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Harvested, week ending Nov 15: 97% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Sep 20Oct 4Oct 18Nov 1Nov 15
This year5-yr avgLast year

Harvested: 97% as of Nov 15.

Forecast record

How the forecast moved to final

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

New Jersey apple crop: USDA first forecast vs final0204060million lb2010: no forecast · final 43.0 million lb20102011: no forecast · final 36.0 million lb20112012: no forecast · final 35.0 million lb20122013: no forecast · final 29.0 million lb20132014: no forecast · final 37.0 million lb20142015: no forecast · final 41.7 million lb20152016: no forecast · final 31.9 million lb20162017: no forecast · final 38.5 million lb20172018: Aug forecast 49.2 million lb · final pending2018
First forecastFinalFinal pending
Crop yearFirst forecast (million lb)FinalRevisionCrop valueShare of US
201849.2 Augustpending———
2017—38.5—$35M0.3%
2016—31.9—$34M0.3%
2015—41.7—$36M0.4%
2014—37.0—$30M0.3%
2013—29.0—$13M0.3%
2012—35.0—$29M0.4%
2011—36.0—$24M0.4%
2010—43.0—$20M0.5%

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.

New Jersey apple crop: fresh market vs processing0204060million lb2010: fresh 30.0, processing 12.0, not sold 0.0 million lb — 71% fresh20102011: fresh 25.0, processing 10.0, not sold 0.0 million lb — 71% fresh20112012: fresh 24.0, processing 10.0, not sold 0.0 million lb — 71% fresh20122013: fresh 19.0, processing 9.5, not sold 0.5 million lb — 66% fresh20132014: fresh 26.0, processing 10.0, not sold 0.5 million lb — 71% fresh20142015: fresh 30.0, processing 11.0, not sold 0.7 million lb — 72% fresh20152016: fresh 25.0, processing 6.0, not sold 0.9 million lb — 78% fresh20162017: fresh 28.0, processing 9.0, not sold 1.5 million lb — 73% 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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