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North Carolina · crop watch

North Carolina apple crop

USDA last rated the 2023 North Carolina apple crop for the week ending Sep 10, when 55% was good or excellent, versus 78% at this point last year. Harvest stood at 96% complete (five-year average 93%). 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 10, 2023

Good to excellent · last reading

55%of the crop

Share of the 2023 crop rated good or excellent for the week ending Sep 10.

▲

96%

Harvested

+3 points against the five-year pace of 93%.

▲

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, 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
North Carolina apple crop condition, 20230%25%50%75%100%Week ending May 14: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 49%, Good 51%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 51% (5-yr avg —, last year 91%)Week ending May 21: Very poor 0%, Poor 3%, Fair 43%, Good 54%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 54% (5-yr avg 77%, last year 97%)Week ending May 28: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 43%, Good 57%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 57% (5-yr avg 73%, last year 94%)Week ending Jun 4: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 51%, Good 49%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 49% (5-yr avg 75%, last year 94%)Week ending Jun 11: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 55%, Good 44%, Excellent 1% — good+excellent 45% (5-yr avg 78%, last year 100%)Week ending Jun 18: Very poor 0%, Poor 4%, Fair 46%, Good 50%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 50% (5-yr avg 73%, last year 82%)Week ending Jun 25: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 55%, Good 45%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 45% (5-yr avg 71%, last year 69%)Week ending Jul 2: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 45%, Good 55%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 55% (5-yr avg 66%, last year 69%)Week ending Jul 9: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 35%, Good 65%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 65% (5-yr avg 67%, last year 68%)Week ending Jul 16: Very poor 0%, Poor 4%, Fair 57%, Good 39%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 39% (5-yr avg 68%, last year 69%)Week ending Jul 23: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 49%, Good 51%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 51% (5-yr avg 63%, last year 76%)Week ending Jul 30: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 54%, Good 46%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 46% (5-yr avg 68%, last year 75%)Week ending Aug 6: Very poor 0%, Poor 2%, Fair 46%, Good 52%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 52% (5-yr avg 65%, last year 66%)Week ending Aug 13: Very poor 0%, Poor 4%, Fair 32%, Good 64%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 64% (5-yr avg 57%, last year 62%)Week ending Aug 20: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 43%, Good 57%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 57% (5-yr avg 60%, last year 75%)Week ending Aug 27: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 46%, Good 54%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 54% (5-yr avg —, last year 84%)Week ending Sep 3: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 52%, Good 48%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 48% (5-yr avg —, last year 83%)Week ending Sep 10: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 45%, Good 55%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 55% (5-yr avg —, last year 78%)−26 pts — week ending Jul 16−26 ptsHarvest begins — week ending Jul 23Harvest beginsUSDA forecast — week ending Aug 13USDA forecastMay 14Jun 4Jun 25Jul 16Aug 6Aug 27
Very poorPoorFairGoodExcellent5-yr avg good+excellentLast year

Latest: 55% good or excellent, week ending Sep 10. Hover a bar for the full breakdown.

Field progress

Harvested, 2023

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

North Carolina apple harvested, 20230%50%100%Harvested, week ending Jul 9: 0% (5-yr avg 0%, last year 0%)Harvested, week ending Jul 16: 0% (5-yr avg 1%, last year 0%)Harvested, week ending Jul 23: 1% (5-yr avg 4%, last year 1%)Harvested, week ending Jul 30: 3% (5-yr avg 8%, last year 4%)Harvested, week ending Aug 6: 15% (5-yr avg 14%, last year 10%)Harvested, week ending Aug 13: 18% (5-yr avg 18%, last year 13%)Harvested, week ending Aug 20: 26% (5-yr avg 24%, last year 17%)Harvested, week ending Aug 27: 30% (5-yr avg 33%, last year 33%)Harvested, week ending Sep 3: 37% (5-yr avg 43%, last year 38%)Harvested, week ending Sep 10: 47% (5-yr avg 51%, last year 46%)Harvested, week ending Sep 17: 57% (5-yr avg 56%, last year 54%)Harvested, week ending Sep 24: 67% (5-yr avg 65%, last year 68%)Harvested, week ending Oct 1: 74% (5-yr avg 74%, last year 74%)Harvested, week ending Oct 8: 82% (5-yr avg 80%, last year 78%)Harvested, week ending Oct 15: 87% (5-yr avg 85%, last year 87%)Harvested, week ending Oct 22: 91% (5-yr avg 89%, last year 94%)Harvested, week ending Oct 29: 96% (5-yr avg 93%, last year 96%)Jul 9Jul 30Aug 20Sep 10Oct 1Oct 22
This year5-yr avgLast year

Harvested: 96% as of Oct 29 (5-yr avg 93%).

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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