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Vermont · crop watch

Vermont apple crop

USDA last rated the 2020 Vermont apple crop for the week ending Oct 4, when 100% was good or excellent, versus 100% at this point last year. Harvest stood at 100% complete. USDA's August forecast puts the 2018 crop at 20.1 million lb, down 35.0% from last year's final of 30.9.

Last rated week ending Oct 4, 2020

Good to excellent · last reading

100%of the crop

Share of the 2020 crop rated good or excellent for the week ending Oct 4.

–

100%

Harvested

As of Nov 1.

▼

20.1

million lb, 2018 forecast

−35.0% against last year's final crop.

Analysis

Week ending Sep 27

Vermont apples rated fully good to excellent

Vermont's apple crop was rated 100% good to excellent for the week ending September 27, 2026, unchanged from the prior week, with three-quarters of that in the excellent category. Harvest reached 71% complete, ahead of the five-year average of 56% and close to last year's 69% pace at the same point. Full bloom, petal fall and fruit set all ran ahead of or level with last year's timing earlier in the season. An August 2018 forecast for the crop put output at 20.1 million pounds, down 35% from the prior year's final total of 30.9 million pounds.

Written from USDA data and source reports

Weekly ratings

Crop condition, 2020

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
Vermont apple crop condition, 20200%25%50%75%100%Week ending Jun 21: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 100%, Good 0%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 0% (5-yr avg 68%, last year 0%)Week ending Jun 28: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 80%, Good 20%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 20% (5-yr avg 84%, last year 90%)Week ending Jul 5: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 65%, Good 35%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 35% (5-yr avg 82%, last year 91%)Week ending Jul 12: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 60%, Good 40%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 40% (5-yr avg 80%, last year 91%)Week ending Jul 19: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 55%, Good 45%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 45% (5-yr avg 83%, last year 100%)Week ending Jul 26: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 50%, Good 50%, Excellent 0% — good+excellent 50% (5-yr avg 81%, last year 92%)Week ending Aug 2: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 45%, Good 52%, Excellent 3% — good+excellent 55% (5-yr avg 86%, last year 91%)Week ending Aug 9: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 38%, Good 50%, Excellent 12% — good+excellent 62% (5-yr avg 96%, last year 100%)Week ending Aug 16: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 31%, Good 55%, Excellent 14% — good+excellent 69% (5-yr avg 93%, last year 100%)Week ending Aug 23: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 22%, Good 55%, Excellent 23% — good+excellent 78% (5-yr avg 97%, last year 100%)Week ending Aug 30: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 17%, Good 52%, Excellent 31% — good+excellent 83% (5-yr avg 94%, last year 100%)Week ending Sep 6: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 8%, Good 52%, Excellent 40% — good+excellent 92% (5-yr avg 86%, last year 100%)Week ending Sep 13: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 50%, Excellent 50% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 85%, last year 100%)Week ending Sep 20: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 50%, Excellent 50% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg 89%, last year 100%)Week ending Sep 27: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 40%, Excellent 60% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 100%)Week ending Oct 4: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 0%, Good 35%, Excellent 65% — good+excellent 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 100%)USDA forecast — week ending Aug 16USDA forecastHarvest begins — week ending Aug 23Harvest beginsJun 21Jul 5Jul 19Aug 2Aug 16Aug 30Sep 13Sep 27
Very poorPoorFairGoodExcellent5-yr avg good+excellentLast year

Latest: 100% good or excellent, week ending Oct 4. Hover a bar for the full breakdown.

Field progress

Green tip, 2020

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

Vermont apple green tip, 20200%50%100%Green tip, week ending Apr 12: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Green tip, week ending Apr 19: 72% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Green tip, week ending Apr 26: 84% (5-yr avg 51%, last year 61%)Green tip, week ending May 3: 100% (5-yr avg 73%, last year 90%)Green tip, week ending May 10: 100% (5-yr avg 86%, last year 98%)Green tip, week ending May 17: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 100%)Green tip, week ending May 24: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 100%)Green tip, week ending May 31: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Apr 12Apr 19Apr 26May 3May 10May 17May 24May 31
This year5-yr avgLast year

Green tip: 100% as of May 31.

Field progress

Pink, 2020

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

Vermont apple pink, 20200%50%100%Pink, week ending May 3: 15% (5-yr avg 10%, last year 0%)Pink, week ending May 10: 70% (5-yr avg 41%, last year 30%)Pink, week ending May 17: 85% (5-yr avg 67%, last year 66%)Pink, week ending May 24: 88% (5-yr avg 87%, last year 89%)Pink, week ending May 31: 100% (5-yr avg 95%, last year 99%)May 3May 10May 17May 24May 31
This year5-yr avgLast year

Pink: 100% as of May 31 (5-yr avg 95%).

Field progress

Full bloom, 2020

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

Vermont apple full bloom, 20200%50%100%Full bloom, week ending May 17: 5% (5-yr avg 24%, last year 8%)Full bloom, week ending May 24: 50% (5-yr avg 61%, last year 53%)Full bloom, week ending May 31: 65% (5-yr avg 83%, last year 86%)Full bloom, week ending Jun 7: 82% (5-yr avg —, last year 97%)Full bloom, week ending Jun 14: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 99%)May 17May 24May 31Jun 7Jun 14
This year5-yr avgLast year

Full bloom: 100% as of Jun 14.

Field progress

Petal fall, 2020

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

Vermont apple petal fall, 20200%50%100%Petal fall, week ending May 24: 27% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Petal fall, week ending May 31: 40% (5-yr avg 55%, last year 44%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 7: 46% (5-yr avg 71%, last year 62%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 14: 100% (5-yr avg 82%, last year 80%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 21: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 96%)Petal fall, week ending Jun 28: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 100%)May 24May 31Jun 7Jun 14Jun 21Jun 28
This year5-yr avgLast year

Petal fall: 100% as of Jun 28.

Field progress

Fruit set, 2020

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

Vermont apple fruit set, 20200%50%100%Fruit set, week ending May 31: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Fruit set, week ending Jun 7: 10% (5-yr avg 47%, last year 20%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 14: 70% (5-yr avg 66%, last year 27%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 21: 88% (5-yr avg —, last year 37%)Fruit set, week ending Jun 28: 90% (5-yr avg —, last year 74%)Fruit set, week ending Jul 5: 92% (5-yr avg —, last year 94%)Fruit set, week ending Jul 12: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 99%)May 31Jun 7Jun 14Jun 21Jun 28Jul 5Jul 12
This year5-yr avgLast year

Fruit set: 100% as of Jul 12.

Field progress

Harvested, 2020

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

Vermont apple harvested, 20200%50%100%Harvested, week ending Aug 2: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Harvested, week ending Aug 9: 0% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Harvested, week ending Aug 16: 0% (5-yr avg 4%, last year 1%)Harvested, week ending Aug 23: 5% (5-yr avg 11%, last year 7%)Harvested, week ending Aug 30: 8% (5-yr avg 17%, last year 13%)Harvested, week ending Sep 6: 15% (5-yr avg 25%, last year 22%)Harvested, week ending Sep 13: 20% (5-yr avg 32%, last year 31%)Harvested, week ending Sep 20: 25% (5-yr avg 42%, last year 41%)Harvested, week ending Sep 27: 47% (5-yr avg 57%, last year 52%)Harvested, week ending Oct 4: 70% (5-yr avg 71%, last year 69%)Harvested, week ending Oct 11: 82% (5-yr avg 82%, last year 84%)Harvested, week ending Oct 18: 100% (5-yr avg 91%, last year 93%)Harvested, week ending Oct 25: 100% (5-yr avg 96%, last year 95%)Harvested, week ending Nov 1: 100% (5-yr avg —, last year 99%)Aug 2Aug 16Aug 30Sep 13Sep 27Oct 11Oct 25
This year5-yr avgLast year

Harvested: 100% as of Nov 1.

Forecast record

How the forecast moved to final

Each season's first USDA forecast against the final estimate, with the revision between them.

Vermont apple crop: USDA first forecast vs final010203040million lb2010: no forecast · final 35.0 million lb20102011: no forecast · final 33.5 million lb20112012: no forecast · final 25.5 million lb20122013: no forecast · final 34.0 million lb20132014: no forecast · final 29.4 million lb20142015: no forecast · final 38.3 million lb20152016: no forecast · final 30.0 million lb20162017: no forecast · final 30.9 million lb20172018: Aug forecast 20.1 million lb · final pending2018
First forecastFinalFinal pending
Crop yearFirst forecast (million lb)FinalRevisionCrop valueShare of US
201820.1 Augustpending———
2017—30.9—$23M0.3%
2016—30.0—$20M0.3%
2015—38.3—$16M0.4%
2014—29.4—$11M0.2%
2013—34.0—$14M0.3%
2012—25.5—$10M0.3%
2011—33.5—$8M0.4%
2010—35.0—$10M0.4%

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.

Vermont apple crop: fresh market vs processing010203040million lb2010: fresh 27.0, processing 6.0, not sold 0.0 million lb — 82% fresh20102011: fresh 16.0, processing 10.5, not sold 0.5 million lb — 59% fresh20112012: fresh 17.5, processing 6.5, not sold 0.0 million lb — 73% fresh20122013: fresh 26.0, processing 5.0, not sold 2.5 million lb — 78% fresh20132014: fresh 23.8, processing 4.4, not sold 0.1 million lb — 84% fresh20142015: fresh 32.7, processing 5.3, not sold 0.3 million lb — 85% fresh20152016: fresh 24.0, processing 5.8, not sold 0.2 million lb — 80% fresh20162017: fresh 24.3, processing 6.4, not sold 0.2 million lb — 79% 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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