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New Jersey · crop watch

New Jersey apple crop

USDA last rated the 2023 New Jersey apple crop for the week ending Oct 1, when 80% was good or excellent. Harvest stood at 95% 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 1, 2023

Good to excellent · last reading

80%of the crop

Share of the 2023 crop rated good or excellent for the week ending Oct 1.

–

95%

Harvested

As of Oct 8.

▲

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, 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
New Jersey apple crop condition, 20230%25%50%75%100%Week ending Jul 2: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 100%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Week ending Jul 9: Very poor 0%, Poor 15%, Fair 29%, Good 52%, Excellent 4% — good+excellent 56% (5-yr avg 53%, last year 100%)Week ending Jul 16: Very poor 0%, Poor 10%, Fair 40%, Good 50%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 50% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Week ending Jul 23: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 100%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Week ending Jul 30: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 61%, Good 39%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 39% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Week ending Aug 6: Very poor 0%, Poor 2%, Fair 10%, Good 80%, Excellent 8% — good+excellent 88% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Week ending Aug 13: Very poor 0%, Poor 5%, Fair 13%, Good 73%, Excellent 9% — good+excellent 82% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Week ending Aug 20: Very poor 0%, Poor 7%, Fair 19%, Good 63%, Excellent 11% — good+excellent 74% (5-yr avg 35%, last year 50%)Week ending Aug 27: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 100%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 36%, last year 50%)Week ending Sep 3: Very poor 0%, Poor 4%, Fair 12%, Good 78%, Excellent 6% — good+excellent 84% (5-yr avg 30%, last year 27%)Week ending Sep 10: Very poor 0%, Poor 7%, Fair 17%, Good 65%, Excellent 11% — good+excellent 76% (5-yr avg 43%, last year 100%)Week ending Sep 17: Very poor 2%, Poor 4%, Fair 24%, Good 65%, Excellent 5% — good+excellent 70% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Week ending Sep 24: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 20%, Good 80%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 80% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Week ending Oct 1: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 20%, Good 80%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 80% (5-yr avg —, last year —)−61 pts — week ending Jul 30−61 ptsUSDA forecast — week ending Aug 13USDA forecastHarvest begins — week ending Aug 27Harvest beginsJul 2Jul 16Jul 30Aug 13Aug 27Sep 10Sep 24
Very poorPoorFairGoodExcellent5-yr avg good+excellentLast year

Latest: 80% good or excellent, week ending Oct 1. Hover a bar for the full breakdown.

Field progress

Green tip, 2023

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

New Jersey apple green tip, 20230%50%100%Green tip, week ending Apr 2: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Green tip, week ending Apr 9: 12% (5-yr avg —, last year 0%)Green tip, week ending Apr 16: 15% (5-yr avg 27%, last year 0%)Green tip, week ending Apr 23: 40% (5-yr avg 52%, last year 86%)Green tip, week ending Apr 30: 60% (5-yr avg 57%, last year 100%)Green tip, week ending May 7: 85% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Green tip, week ending May 14: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Apr 2Apr 9Apr 16Apr 23Apr 30May 7May 14
This year5-yr avgLast year

Green tip: 100% as of May 14.

Field progress

Pink, 2023

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

New Jersey apple pink, 20230%50%100%Pink, week ending Apr 23: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Pink, week ending Apr 30: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Pink, week ending May 7: 0% (5-yr avg 38%, last year 47%)Pink, week ending May 14: 40% (5-yr avg 55%, last year 89%)Pink, week ending May 21: 65% (5-yr avg 61%, last year 99%)Pink, week ending May 28: 95% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Apr 23Apr 30May 7May 14May 21May 28
This year5-yr avgLast year

Pink: 95% as of May 28.

Field progress

Full bloom, 2023

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

New Jersey apple full bloom, 20230%50%100%Full bloom, week ending Apr 23: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Full bloom, week ending Apr 30: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Full bloom, week ending May 7: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Full bloom, week ending May 14: 5% (5-yr avg 27%, last year 69%)Full bloom, week ending May 21: 20% (5-yr avg 44%, last year 96%)Full bloom, week ending May 28: 70% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Full bloom, week ending Jun 4: 85% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Full bloom, week ending Jun 11: 99% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Apr 23Apr 30May 7May 14May 21May 28Jun 4Jun 11
This year5-yr avgLast year

Full bloom: 99% as of Jun 11.

Field progress

Petal fall, 2023

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

New Jersey apple petal fall, 20230%50%100%Petal fall, week ending May 7: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Petal fall, week ending May 14: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Petal fall, week ending May 21: 5% (5-yr avg —, last year 79%)Petal fall, week ending May 28: 30% (5-yr avg —, last year 94%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 4: 45% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Petal fall, week ending Jun 11: 60% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Petal fall, week ending Jun 18: 76% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Petal fall, week ending Jun 25: 80% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Petal fall, week ending Jul 2: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year —)May 7May 21Jun 4Jun 18Jul 2
This year5-yr avgLast year

Petal fall: 100% as of Jul 2.

Field progress

Fruit set, 2023

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

New Jersey apple fruit set, 20230%50%100%Fruit set, week ending May 14: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Fruit set, week ending May 21: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year 4%)Fruit set, week ending May 28: 5% (5-yr avg —, last year 31%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 4: 15% (5-yr avg —, last year 48%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 11: 25% (5-yr avg —, last year 71%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 18: 45% (5-yr avg —, last year 79%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 25: 50% (5-yr avg —, last year 84%)Fruit set, week ending Jul 2: 65% (5-yr avg —, last year 94%)Fruit set, week ending Jul 9: 70% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Fruit set, week ending Jul 16: 80% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Fruit set, week ending Jul 23: 95% (5-yr avg —, last year —)May 14May 28Jun 11Jun 25Jul 9Jul 23
This year5-yr avgLast year

Fruit set: 95% as of Jul 23.

Field progress

Harvested, 2023

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

New Jersey apple harvested, 20230%50%100%Harvested, week ending Aug 27: 5% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Harvested, week ending Sep 3: 7% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Harvested, week ending Sep 10: 26% (5-yr avg —, last year 92%)Harvested, week ending Sep 17: 60% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Harvested, week ending Sep 24: 75% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Harvested, week ending Oct 1: 90% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Harvested, week ending Oct 8: 95% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Aug 27Sep 3Sep 10Sep 17Sep 24Oct 1Oct 8
This year5-yr avgLast year

Harvested: 95% as of Oct 8.

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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