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North Carolina · crop watch

North Carolina peach crop

USDA last rated the 2023 North Carolina peach crop for the week ending Jul 16, when 23% was good or excellent, versus 38% at this point last year. Harvest stood at 95% complete (five-year average 91%). USDA's August forecast puts the 2018 crop at 4.6 thousand tons, up 164.4% from last year's final of 1.7.

Last rated week ending Jul 16, 2023

Good to excellent · last reading

23%of the crop

Share of the 2023 crop rated good or excellent for the week ending Jul 16.

▲

95%

Harvested

+4 points against the five-year pace of 91%.

▲

4.6

thousand tons, 2018 forecast

+164.4% against last year's final crop.

Analysis

Week ending Jul 19 — 10 weeks ago

North Carolina peach condition dropped sharply in July

North Carolina's peach crop was rated in the week ending July 19, 2026, with only 7% good to excellent, a drop of 16 points from the prior week and the lowest reading of the 12 weeks USDA rated this season. Very poor and poor ratings covered nearly half the crop. By August 30, harvest reached 89% complete, ahead of the five-year average of 85% but behind last year's 95% pace at the same date. USDA's August 2018 forecast put the crop at 4.6 thousand tons, up 164.4% from last year's final of 1.7 thousand tons.

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 peach crop condition, 20230%25%50%75%100%Week ending May 7: Very poor 6%, Poor 53%, Fair 32%, Good 8%, Excellent 1% — good+excellent 9% (5-yr avg —, last year 45%)Week ending May 14: Very poor 6%, Poor 54%, Fair 36%, Good 3%, Excellent 1% — good+excellent 4% (5-yr avg —, last year 71%)Week ending May 21: Very poor 7%, Poor 36%, Fair 51%, Good 5%, Excellent 1% — good+excellent 6% (5-yr avg 69%, last year 63%)Week ending May 28: Very poor 6%, Poor 44%, Fair 36%, Good 13%, Excellent 1% — good+excellent 14% (5-yr avg 58%, last year 53%)Week ending Jun 4: Very poor 1%, Poor 27%, Fair 29%, Good 25%, Excellent 18% — good+excellent 43% (5-yr avg 58%, last year 55%)Week ending Jun 11: Very poor 7%, Poor 42%, Fair 35%, Good 15%, Excellent 1% — good+excellent 16% (5-yr avg 65%, last year 70%)Week ending Jun 18: Very poor 0%, Poor 19%, Fair 29%, Good 39%, Excellent 13% — good+excellent 52% (5-yr avg 63%, last year 50%)Week ending Jun 25: Very poor 4%, Poor 26%, Fair 39%, Good 25%, Excellent 6% — good+excellent 31% (5-yr avg 60%, last year 20%)Week ending Jul 2: Very poor 6%, Poor 37%, Fair 43%, Good 13%, Excellent 1% — good+excellent 14% (5-yr avg 56%, last year 20%)Week ending Jul 9: Very poor 0%, Poor 29%, Fair 31%, Good 31%, Excellent 9% — good+excellent 40% (5-yr avg 57%, last year 34%)Week ending Jul 16: Very poor 13%, Poor 43%, Fair 21%, Good 22%, Excellent 1% — good+excellent 23% (5-yr avg —, last year 38%)Harvest begins — week ending May 28Harvest begins−27 pts — week ending Jun 11−27 ptsUSDA forecast — week ending Jul 16USDA forecastMay 7May 21Jun 4Jun 18Jul 2Jul 16
Very poorPoorFairGoodExcellent5-yr avg good+excellentLast year

Latest: 23% good or excellent, week ending Jul 16. Hover a bar for the full breakdown.

Field progress

Harvested, 2023

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

North Carolina peach harvested, 20230%50%100%Harvested, week ending May 28: 1% (5-yr avg 0%, last year 0%)Harvested, week ending Jun 4: 3% (5-yr avg 3%, last year 2%)Harvested, week ending Jun 11: 5% (5-yr avg 9%, last year 6%)Harvested, week ending Jun 18: 9% (5-yr avg 16%, last year 10%)Harvested, week ending Jun 25: 15% (5-yr avg 23%, last year 17%)Harvested, week ending Jul 2: 29% (5-yr avg 29%, last year 28%)Harvested, week ending Jul 9: 38% (5-yr avg 34%, last year 33%)Harvested, week ending Jul 16: 46% (5-yr avg 41%, last year 39%)Harvested, week ending Jul 23: 50% (5-yr avg 49%, last year 49%)Harvested, week ending Jul 30: 54% (5-yr avg 57%, last year 54%)Harvested, week ending Aug 6: 61% (5-yr avg 63%, last year 59%)Harvested, week ending Aug 13: 71% (5-yr avg 69%, last year 65%)Harvested, week ending Aug 20: 82% (5-yr avg 77%, last year 71%)Harvested, week ending Aug 27: 88% (5-yr avg 82%, last year 76%)Harvested, week ending Sep 3: 93% (5-yr avg 86%, last year 81%)Harvested, week ending Sep 10: 95% (5-yr avg 91%, last year 87%)May 28Jun 11Jun 25Jul 9Jul 23Aug 6Aug 20Sep 3
This year5-yr avgLast year

Harvested: 95% as of Sep 10 (5-yr avg 91%).

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 peach crop: USDA first forecast vs final0246thousand tons2010: no forecast · final 5.5 thousand tons20102011: no forecast · final 5.3 thousand tons20112012: no forecast · final 5.3 thousand tons20122013: no forecast · final 6.0 thousand tons20132014: no forecast · final 4.4 thousand tons20142015: no forecast · final 4.5 thousand tons20152016: no forecast · final 2.7 thousand tons20162017: no forecast · final 1.7 thousand tons20172018: Aug forecast 4.6 thousand tons · final pending2018
First forecastFinalFinal pending
Crop yearFirst forecast (thousand tons)FinalRevisionCrop valueShare of US
20184.6 Augustpending———
2017—1.7—$3M0.2%
2016—2.7—$3M0.3%
2015—4.5—$6M0.5%
2014—4.4—$6M0.5%
2013—6.0—$6M0.7%
2012—5.3—$6M0.5%
2011—5.3—$5M0.5%
2010—5.5—$6M0.5%

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 peach crop: fresh market vs processing0123thousand tons2011: fresh 0.0, processing 0.0, not sold 0.1 thousand tons — 0% fresh20112012: fresh 0.0, processing 0.0, not sold 0.1 thousand tons — 0% fresh20122013: fresh 0.0, processing 0.0, not sold 0.3 thousand tons — 0% fresh20132014: fresh 0.0, processing 0.0, not sold 0.1 thousand tons — 0% fresh20142015: fresh 0.0, processing 0.0, not sold 0.1 thousand tons — 0% fresh20152016: fresh 2.7, processing 0.0, not sold 0.0 thousand tons — 100% fresh20162017: fresh 1.7, processing 0.0, not sold 0.0 thousand tons — 100% 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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