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North Carolina · crop watch

North Carolina apple crop

USDA last rated the 2026 North Carolina apple crop for the week ending Sep 6, when 51% was good or excellent. Harvest is 76% complete (five-year average 71%). 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 6, 2026

Good to excellent · last reading

51%of the crop

Share of the 2026 crop rated good or excellent for the week ending Sep 6.

▲

76%

Harvested

+5 points against the five-year pace of 71%.

▲

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, 2026

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, 20260%25%50%75%100%Week ending May 10: Very poor 0%, Poor 19%, Fair 31%, Good 50%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 50% (5-yr avg 64%, last year 76%)Week ending May 17: Very poor 0%, Poor 19%, Fair 31%, Good 50%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 50% (5-yr avg 64%, last year 79%)Week ending May 24: Very poor 0%, Poor 13%, Fair 40%, Good 47%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 47% (5-yr avg 67%, last year 70%)Week ending May 31: Very poor 1%, Poor 6%, Fair 32%, Good 61%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 61% (5-yr avg 70%, last year 69%)Week ending Jun 7: Very poor 0%, Poor 4%, Fair 37%, Good 59%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 59% (5-yr avg 71%, last year 66%)Week ending Jun 14: Very poor 0%, Poor 9%, Fair 44%, Good 47%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 47% (5-yr avg 72%, last year 80%)Week ending Jun 21: Very poor 0%, Poor 7%, Fair 35%, Good 58%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 58% (5-yr avg 67%, last year 74%)Week ending Jun 28: Very poor 0%, Poor 6%, Fair 41%, Good 53%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 53% (5-yr avg 65%, last year 70%)Week ending Jul 5: Very poor 0%, Poor 7%, Fair 43%, Good 50%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 50% (5-yr avg 66%, last year 57%)Week ending Jul 12: Very poor 0%, Poor 8%, Fair 42%, Good 50%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 50% (5-yr avg 60%, last year 54%)Week ending Jul 19: Very poor 1%, Poor 6%, Fair 29%, Good 64%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 64% (5-yr avg 61%, last year 55%)Week ending Jul 26: Very poor 0%, Poor 4%, Fair 30%, Good 66%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 66% (5-yr avg 63%, last year 51%)Week ending Aug 2: Very poor 0%, Poor 6%, Fair 19%, Good 75%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 75% (5-yr avg 68%, last year 71%)Week ending Aug 9: Very poor 1%, Poor 6%, Fair 25%, Good 68%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 68% (5-yr avg 63%, last year 60%)Week ending Aug 16: Very poor 0%, Poor 2%, Fair 23%, Good 75%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 75% (5-yr avg 64%, last year 55%)Week ending Aug 23: Very poor 1%, Poor 6%, Fair 15%, Good 78%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 78% (5-yr avg 66%, last year 55%)Week ending Aug 30: Very poor 0%, Poor 4%, Fair 19%, Good 77%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 77% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Week ending Sep 6: Very poor 0%, Poor 10%, Fair 39%, Good 51%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 51% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Harvest begins — week ending Jul 12Harvest beginsUSDA forecast — week ending Aug 16USDA forecast−26 pts — week ending Sep 6−26 ptsMay 10May 31Jun 21Jul 12Aug 2Aug 23
Very poorPoorFairGoodExcellent5-yr avg good+excellentLast year

Latest: 51% good or excellent, week ending Sep 6. Hover a bar for the full breakdown.

Field progress

Harvested, 2026

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

North Carolina apple harvested, 20260%50%100%Harvested, week ending Jul 5: 0% (5-yr avg 0%, last year 0%)Harvested, week ending Jul 12: 9% (5-yr avg 1%, last year 0%)Harvested, week ending Jul 19: 13% (5-yr avg 4%, last year 2%)Harvested, week ending Jul 26: 17% (5-yr avg 8%, last year 10%)Harvested, week ending Aug 2: 21% (5-yr avg 13%, last year 12%)Harvested, week ending Aug 9: 25% (5-yr avg 18%, last year 17%)Harvested, week ending Aug 16: 29% (5-yr avg 23%, last year 26%)Harvested, week ending Aug 23: 33% (5-yr avg 31%, last year 43%)Harvested, week ending Aug 30: 36% (5-yr avg 39%, last year 48%)Harvested, week ending Sep 6: 45% (5-yr avg 47%, last year 59%)Harvested, week ending Sep 13: 56% (5-yr avg 54%, last year 64%)Harvested, week ending Sep 20: 73% (5-yr avg 61%, last year 73%)Harvested, week ending Sep 27: 76% (5-yr avg 71%, last year 79%)Jul 5Jul 19Aug 2Aug 16Aug 30Sep 13Sep 27
This year5-yr avgLast year

Harvested: 76% as of Sep 27 (5-yr avg 71%).

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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