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North Carolina · crop watch

North Carolina apple crop

USDA last rated the 2025 North Carolina apple crop for the week ending Aug 24, when 55% was good or excellent, 17 points below the five-year average of 72%, versus 87% at this point last year. Harvest stood at 80% complete (five-year average 68%). 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 Aug 24, 2025

Good to excellent · last reading

55%of the crop

17 points below the five-year average for this week, and 87% a year ago.

▲

80%

Harvested

+12 points against the five-year pace of 68%.

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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, 2025

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, 20250%25%50%75%100%Week ending May 11: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 24%, Good 76%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 76% (5-yr avg 68%, last year 84%)Week ending May 18: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 21%, Good 74%, Excellent 5% — good+excellent 79% (5-yr avg 65%, last year 65%)Week ending May 25: Very poor 0%, Poor 11%, Fair 19%, Good 70%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 70% (5-yr avg 68%, last year 79%)Week ending Jun 1: Very poor 0%, Poor 9%, Fair 22%, Good 69%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 69% (5-yr avg 72%, last year 85%)Week ending Jun 8: Very poor 0%, Poor 4%, Fair 30%, Good 66%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 66% (5-yr avg 76%, last year 85%)Week ending Jun 15: Very poor 0%, Poor 2%, Fair 18%, Good 80%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 80% (5-yr avg 73%, last year 85%)Week ending Jun 22: Very poor 0%, Poor 1%, Fair 25%, Good 74%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 74% (5-yr avg 69%, last year 82%)Week ending Jun 29: Very poor 0%, Poor 5%, Fair 25%, Good 70%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 70% (5-yr avg 68%, last year 84%)Week ending Jul 6: Very poor 0%, Poor 13%, Fair 30%, Good 57%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 57% (5-yr avg 72%, last year 82%)Week ending Jul 13: Very poor 0%, Poor 16%, Fair 30%, Good 54%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 54% (5-yr avg 67%, last year 83%)Week ending Jul 20: Very poor 0%, Poor 17%, Fair 28%, Good 55%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 55% (5-yr avg 65%, last year 77%)Week ending Jul 27: Very poor 0%, Poor 20%, Fair 29%, Good 51%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 51% (5-yr avg 68%, last year 80%)Week ending Aug 3: Very poor 0%, Poor 1%, Fair 28%, Good 70%, Excellent 1% — good+excellent 71% (5-yr avg 71%, last year 90%)Week ending Aug 10: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 40%, Good 60%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 60% (5-yr avg 65%, last year 83%)Week ending Aug 17: Very poor 0%, Poor 5%, Fair 40%, Good 55%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 55% (5-yr avg 67%, last year 86%)Week ending Aug 24: Very poor 0%, Poor 6%, Fair 39%, Good 54%, Excellent 1% — good+excellent 55% (5-yr avg 72%, last year 87%)−13 pts — week ending Jul 6−13 ptsHarvest begins — week ending Jul 20Harvest beginsUSDA forecast — week ending Aug 17USDA forecastMay 11May 25Jun 8Jun 22Jul 6Jul 20Aug 3Aug 17
Very poorPoorFairGoodExcellent5-yr avg good+excellentLast year

Latest: 55% good or excellent, week ending Aug 24. Hover a bar for the full breakdown.

Field progress

Harvested, 2025

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

North Carolina apple harvested, 20250%50%100%Harvested, week ending Jul 6: 0% (5-yr avg 0%, last year 0%)Harvested, week ending Jul 13: 0% (5-yr avg 1%, last year 7%)Harvested, week ending Jul 20: 2% (5-yr avg 4%, last year 16%)Harvested, week ending Jul 27: 11% (5-yr avg 8%, last year 20%)Harvested, week ending Aug 3: 12% (5-yr avg 13%, last year 24%)Harvested, week ending Aug 10: 18% (5-yr avg 18%, last year 29%)Harvested, week ending Aug 17: 27% (5-yr avg 22%, last year 33%)Harvested, week ending Aug 24: 46% (5-yr avg 29%, last year 39%)Harvested, week ending Aug 31: 48% (5-yr avg 37%, last year 46%)Harvested, week ending Sep 7: 61% (5-yr avg 44%, last year 51%)Harvested, week ending Sep 14: 64% (5-yr avg 51%, last year 56%)Harvested, week ending Sep 21: 74% (5-yr avg 59%, last year 60%)Harvested, week ending Sep 28: 80% (5-yr avg 68%, last year 65%)Jul 6Jul 20Aug 3Aug 17Aug 31Sep 14Sep 28
This year5-yr avgLast year

Harvested: 80% as of Sep 28 (5-yr avg 68%).

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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