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North Carolina · crop watch

North Carolina apple crop

USDA last rated the 2024 North Carolina apple crop for the week ending Sep 1, when 84% was good or excellent, versus 48% at this point last year. Harvest stood at 95% complete (five-year average 95%). 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 1, 2024

Good to excellent · last reading

84%of the crop

Share of the 2024 crop rated good or excellent for the week ending Sep 1.

=

95%

Harvested

0 points against the five-year pace of 95%.

▲

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, 2024

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, 20240%25%50%75%100%Week ending May 12: Very poor 0%, Poor 1%, Fair 15%, Good 83%, Excellent 1% — good+excellent 84% (5-yr avg 71%, last year 51%)Week ending May 19: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 35%, Good 65%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 65% (5-yr avg 72%, last year 54%)Week ending May 26: Very poor 0%, Poor 1%, Fair 20%, Good 79%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 79% (5-yr avg 71%, last year 57%)Week ending Jun 2: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 15%, Good 85%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 85% (5-yr avg 74%, last year 49%)Week ending Jun 9: Very poor 0%, Poor 1%, Fair 14%, Good 84%, Excellent 1% — good+excellent 85% (5-yr avg 73%, last year 45%)Week ending Jun 16: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 15%, Good 85%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 85% (5-yr avg 71%, last year 50%)Week ending Jun 23: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 18%, Good 82%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 82% (5-yr avg 67%, last year 45%)Week ending Jun 30: Very poor 1%, Poor 3%, Fair 12%, Good 84%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 84% (5-yr avg 67%, last year 55%)Week ending Jul 7: Very poor 1%, Poor 3%, Fair 14%, Good 81%, Excellent 1% — good+excellent 82% (5-yr avg 70%, last year 65%)Week ending Jul 14: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 17%, Good 83%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 83% (5-yr avg 66%, last year 39%)Week ending Jul 21: Very poor 0%, Poor 3%, Fair 20%, Good 77%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 77% (5-yr avg 65%, last year 51%)Week ending Jul 28: Very poor 0%, Poor 6%, Fair 14%, Good 80%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 80% (5-yr avg 66%, last year 46%)Week ending Aug 4: Very poor 0%, Poor 3%, Fair 7%, Good 86%, Excellent 4% — good+excellent 90% (5-yr avg 69%, last year 52%)Week ending Aug 11: Very poor 0%, Poor 1%, Fair 16%, Good 83%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 83% (5-yr avg 62%, last year 64%)Week ending Aug 18: Very poor 0%, Poor 3%, Fair 11%, Good 86%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 86% (5-yr avg 62%, last year 57%)Week ending Aug 25: Very poor 0%, Poor 3%, Fair 10%, Good 87%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 87% (5-yr avg 67%, last year 54%)Week ending Sep 1: Very poor 0%, Poor 1%, Fair 15%, Good 84%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 84% (5-yr avg —, last year 48%)−19 pts — week ending May 19−19 ptsHarvest begins — week ending Jul 14Harvest beginsUSDA forecast — week ending Aug 18USDA forecastMay 12Jun 2Jun 23Jul 14Aug 4Aug 25
Very poorPoorFairGoodExcellent5-yr avg good+excellentLast year

Latest: 84% good or excellent, week ending Sep 1. Hover a bar for the full breakdown.

Field progress

Harvested, 2024

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

North Carolina apple harvested, 20240%50%100%Harvested, week ending Jul 7: 0% (5-yr avg 0%, last year 0%)Harvested, week ending Jul 14: 8% (5-yr avg 0%, last year 0%)Harvested, week ending Jul 21: 17% (5-yr avg 2%, last year 1%)Harvested, week ending Jul 28: 21% (5-yr avg 6%, last year 2%)Harvested, week ending Aug 4: 25% (5-yr avg 12%, last year 12%)Harvested, week ending Aug 11: 30% (5-yr avg 16%, last year 17%)Harvested, week ending Aug 18: 34% (5-yr avg 23%, last year 24%)Harvested, week ending Aug 25: 40% (5-yr avg 31%, last year 29%)Harvested, week ending Sep 1: 47% (5-yr avg 38%, last year 35%)Harvested, week ending Sep 8: 52% (5-yr avg 46%, last year 44%)Harvested, week ending Sep 15: 57% (5-yr avg 53%, last year 54%)Harvested, week ending Sep 22: 60% (5-yr avg 62%, last year 64%)Harvested, week ending Sep 29: 66% (5-yr avg 71%, last year 72%)Harvested, week ending Oct 6: 72% (5-yr avg 78%, last year 80%)Harvested, week ending Oct 13: 76% (5-yr avg 84%, last year 86%)Harvested, week ending Oct 20: 82% (5-yr avg 88%, last year 90%)Harvested, week ending Oct 27: 90% (5-yr avg 92%, last year 95%)Harvested, week ending Nov 3: 95% (5-yr avg 95%, last year 97%)Jul 7Jul 28Aug 18Sep 8Sep 29Oct 20
This year5-yr avgLast year

Harvested: 95% as of Nov 3 (5-yr avg 95%).

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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