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North Carolina · crop watch

North Carolina apple crop

USDA last rated the 2020 North Carolina apple crop for the week ending Sep 13, when 80% was good or excellent. Harvest stood at 95% complete (five-year average 97%). USDA's August forecast puts the 2018 crop at 115.0 million lb, up 10.6% from last year's final of 104.0.

Last rated week ending Sep 13, 2020

Good to excellent · last reading

80%of the crop

Share of the 2020 crop rated good or excellent for the week ending Sep 13.

▼

95%

Harvested

−2 points against the five-year pace of 97%.

▲

115

million lb, 2018 forecast

+10.6% against last year's final crop.

Analysis

Week ending Sep 6 — 3 weeks ago

North Carolina apple crop condition drops sharply

In the week ending September 6, 2026, North Carolina's apple crop was rated 51% good to excellent, down 26 points from the previous week, with 10% rated poor. Harvest reached 56% complete by September 13, slightly ahead of the five-year average of 54% but behind last year's pace of 64% at the same point. A USDA forecast from August 2018 put the crop at 115 million pounds, up 10.6% from last year's final total of 104 million pounds. The next condition report will show whether the decline in quality continues.

This is the most recent reading USDA has published for this crop and state; it is not a current-week rating.

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
North Carolina apple crop condition, 20200%25%50%75%100%Week ending May 17: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 2%, Good 97%, Excellent 1% — good+excellent 98% (5-yr avg —, last year 98%)Week ending May 24: Very poor 0%, Poor 4%, Fair 11%, Good 85%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 85% (5-yr avg —, last year 94%)Week ending May 31: Very poor 0%, Poor 10%, Fair 15%, Good 75%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 75% (5-yr avg 65%, last year 90%)Week ending Jun 7: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 14%, Good 78%, Excellent 8% — good+excellent 86% (5-yr avg 63%, last year 72%)Week ending Jun 14: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 12%, Good 80%, Excellent 8% — good+excellent 88% (5-yr avg 63%, last year 77%)Week ending Jun 21: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 13%, Good 78%, Excellent 9% — good+excellent 87% (5-yr avg 59%, last year 73%)Week ending Jun 28: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 14%, Good 76%, Excellent 10% — good+excellent 86% (5-yr avg 56%, last year 77%)Week ending Jul 5: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 14%, Good 76%, Excellent 10% — good+excellent 86% (5-yr avg 56%, last year 76%)Week ending Jul 12: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 14%, Good 78%, Excellent 8% — good+excellent 86% (5-yr avg 56%, last year 76%)Week ending Jul 19: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 11%, Good 89%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 89% (5-yr avg 56%, last year 78%)Week ending Jul 26: Very poor 0%, Poor 3%, Fair 22%, Good 75%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 75% (5-yr avg 53%, last year 70%)Week ending Aug 2: Very poor 0%, Poor 1%, Fair 22%, Good 77%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 77% (5-yr avg 57%, last year 79%)Week ending Aug 9: Very poor 0%, Poor 2%, Fair 13%, Good 83%, Excellent 2% — good+excellent 85% (5-yr avg 54%, last year 67%)Week ending Aug 16: Very poor 0%, Poor 8%, Fair 19%, Good 73%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 73% (5-yr avg 54%, last year 60%)Week ending Aug 23: Very poor 0%, Poor 8%, Fair 20%, Good 72%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 72% (5-yr avg 54%, last year 63%)Week ending Aug 30: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 12%, Good 88%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 88% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Week ending Sep 6: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 16%, Good 81%, Excellent 3% — good+excellent 84% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Week ending Sep 13: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 20%, Good 76%, Excellent 4% — good+excellent 80% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Harvest begins — week ending Jul 19Harvest begins−14 pts — week ending Jul 26−14 ptsUSDA forecast — week ending Aug 16USDA forecastMay 17Jun 7Jun 28Jul 19Aug 9Aug 30
Very poorPoorFairGoodExcellent5-yr avg good+excellentLast year

Latest: 80% good or excellent, week ending Sep 13. Hover a bar for the full breakdown.

Field progress

Harvested, 2020

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

North Carolina apple harvested, 20200%50%100%Harvested, week ending Jul 12: 0% (5-yr avg 1%, last year 1%)Harvested, week ending Jul 19: 1% (5-yr avg 3%, last year 2%)Harvested, week ending Jul 26: 9% (5-yr avg 8%, last year 6%)Harvested, week ending Aug 2: 10% (5-yr avg 14%, last year 11%)Harvested, week ending Aug 9: 14% (5-yr avg 19%, last year 17%)Harvested, week ending Aug 16: 20% (5-yr avg 24%, last year 29%)Harvested, week ending Aug 23: 24% (5-yr avg 31%, last year 40%)Harvested, week ending Aug 30: 34% (5-yr avg 39%, last year 46%)Harvested, week ending Sep 6: 39% (5-yr avg 49%, last year 51%)Harvested, week ending Sep 13: 47% (5-yr avg 56%, last year 59%)Harvested, week ending Sep 20: 52% (5-yr avg 62%, last year 68%)Harvested, week ending Sep 27: 59% (5-yr avg 70%, last year 75%)Harvested, week ending Oct 4: 65% (5-yr avg 77%, last year 81%)Harvested, week ending Oct 11: 74% (5-yr avg 81%, last year 84%)Harvested, week ending Oct 18: 77% (5-yr avg 85%, last year 86%)Harvested, week ending Oct 25: 85% (5-yr avg 90%, last year 89%)Harvested, week ending Nov 1: 91% (5-yr avg 94%, last year 94%)Harvested, week ending Nov 8: 95% (5-yr avg 97%, last year 96%)Jul 12Aug 2Aug 23Sep 13Oct 4Oct 25
This year5-yr avgLast year

Harvested: 95% as of Nov 8 (5-yr avg 97%).

Forecast record

How the forecast moved to final

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

North Carolina apple crop: USDA first forecast vs final050100150200million lb2010: no forecast · final 136.0 million lb20102011: no forecast · final 140.0 million lb20112012: no forecast · final 33.5 million lb20122013: no forecast · final 155.0 million lb20132014: no forecast · final 125.0 million lb20142015: no forecast · final 105.0 million lb20152016: no forecast · final 114.0 million lb20162017: no forecast · final 104.0 million lb20172018: Aug forecast 115.0 million lb · final pending2018
First forecastFinalFinal pending
Crop yearFirst forecast (million lb)FinalRevisionCrop valueShare of US
2018115.0 Augustpending———
2017—104.0—$25M0.9%
2016—114.0—$27M1.0%
2015—105.0—$21M1.0%
2014—125.0—$31M1.1%
2013—155.0—$32M1.5%
2012—33.5—$10M0.4%
2011—140.0—$27M1.5%
2010—136.0—$25M1.5%

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.

North Carolina apple crop: fresh market vs processing050100150million lb2010: fresh 56.0, processing 78.0, not sold 0.0 million lb — 42% fresh20102011: fresh 59.0, processing 81.0, not sold 0.0 million lb — 42% fresh20112012: fresh 16.0, processing 16.0, not sold 0.0 million lb — 50% fresh20122013: fresh 75.0, processing 70.0, not sold 4.0 million lb — 50% fresh20132014: fresh 65.0, processing 60.0, not sold 0.0 million lb — 52% fresh20142015: fresh 50.0, processing 53.0, not sold 2.0 million lb — 48% fresh20152016: fresh 53.0, processing 60.0, not sold 1.0 million lb — 46% fresh20162017: fresh 52.0, processing 50.0, not sold 2.0 million lb — 50% 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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