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North Carolina · crop watch

North Carolina apple crop

USDA last rated the 2022 North Carolina apple crop for the week ending Sep 11, when 78% was good or excellent, versus 61% at this point last year. Harvest stood at 95% complete (five-year average 88%). 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 11, 2022

Good to excellent · last reading

78%of the crop

Share of the 2022 crop rated good or excellent for the week ending Sep 11.

▲

95%

Harvested

+7 points against the five-year pace of 88%.

▲

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, 2022

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, 20220%25%50%75%100%Week ending May 15: Very poor 0%, Poor 3%, Fair 6%, Good 88%, Excellent 3% — good+excellent 91% (5-yr avg —, last year 18%)Week ending May 22: Very poor 0%, Poor 1%, Fair 2%, Good 96%, Excellent 1% — good+excellent 97% (5-yr avg —, last year 26%)Week ending May 29: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 6%, Good 94%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 94% (5-yr avg 67%, last year 33%)Week ending Jun 5: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 6%, Good 94%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 94% (5-yr avg 70%, last year 50%)Week ending Jun 12: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 100%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 73%, last year 59%)Week ending Jun 19: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 18%, Good 82%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 82% (5-yr avg 69%, last year 60%)Week ending Jun 26: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 31%, Good 69%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 69% (5-yr avg 67%, last year 62%)Week ending Jul 3: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 31%, Good 69%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 69% (5-yr avg 64%, last year 48%)Week ending Jul 10: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 32%, Good 68%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 68% (5-yr avg 65%, last year 55%)Week ending Jul 17: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 31%, Good 64%, Excellent 5% — good+excellent 69% (5-yr avg 65%, last year 55%)Week ending Jul 24: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 24%, Good 71%, Excellent 5% — good+excellent 76% (5-yr avg 58%, last year 48%)Week ending Jul 31: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 25%, Good 75%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 75% (5-yr avg 65%, last year 62%)Week ending Aug 7: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 34%, Good 66%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 66% (5-yr avg 64%, last year 62%)Week ending Aug 14: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 38%, Good 61%, Excellent 1% — good+excellent 62% (5-yr avg 58%, last year 45%)Week ending Aug 21: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 25%, Good 75%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 75% (5-yr avg 59%, last year 44%)Week ending Aug 28: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 16%, Good 84%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 84% (5-yr avg —, last year 48%)Week ending Sep 4: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 17%, Good 78%, Excellent 5% — good+excellent 83% (5-yr avg —, last year 75%)Week ending Sep 11: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 22%, Good 73%, Excellent 5% — good+excellent 78% (5-yr avg —, last year 61%)−18 pts — week ending Jun 19−18 ptsHarvest begins — week ending Jul 24Harvest beginsUSDA forecast — week ending Aug 14USDA forecastMay 15Jun 5Jun 26Jul 17Aug 7Aug 28
Very poorPoorFairGoodExcellent5-yr avg good+excellentLast year

Latest: 78% good or excellent, week ending Sep 11. Hover a bar for the full breakdown.

Field progress

Harvested, 2022

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

North Carolina apple harvested, 20220%50%100%Harvested, week ending Jul 10: 0% (5-yr avg 0%, last year 0%)Harvested, week ending Jul 17: 0% (5-yr avg 2%, last year 1%)Harvested, week ending Jul 24: 1% (5-yr avg 6%, last year 4%)Harvested, week ending Jul 31: 4% (5-yr avg 11%, last year 11%)Harvested, week ending Aug 7: 11% (5-yr avg 16%, last year 17%)Harvested, week ending Aug 14: 13% (5-yr avg 20%, last year 19%)Harvested, week ending Aug 21: 18% (5-yr avg 26%, last year 23%)Harvested, week ending Aug 28: 35% (5-yr avg 34%, last year 28%)Harvested, week ending Sep 4: 39% (5-yr avg 45%, last year 42%)Harvested, week ending Sep 11: 47% (5-yr avg 52%, last year 48%)Harvested, week ending Sep 18: 55% (5-yr avg 58%, last year 52%)Harvested, week ending Sep 25: 70% (5-yr avg 66%, last year 66%)Harvested, week ending Oct 2: 75% (5-yr avg 76%, last year 80%)Harvested, week ending Oct 9: 79% (5-yr avg 81%, last year 85%)Harvested, week ending Oct 16: 88% (5-yr avg 85%, last year 91%)Harvested, week ending Oct 23: 95% (5-yr avg 88%, last year 93%)Jul 10Jul 24Aug 7Aug 21Sep 4Sep 18Oct 2Oct 16
This year5-yr avgLast year

Harvested: 95% as of Oct 23 (5-yr avg 88%).

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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