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Wisconsin · crop watch

Wisconsin potato crop

USDA last rated the 2021 Wisconsin potato crop for the week ending Sep 19, when 86% was good or excellent. Harvest stood at 99% complete (five-year average 95%). USDA's November forecast puts the 2021 crop at 31.2 million cwt, up 13.2% from last year's final of 27.5.

Last rated week ending Sep 19, 2021

Good to excellent · last reading

86%of the crop

Share of the 2021 crop rated good or excellent for the week ending Sep 19.

▲

99%

Harvested

+4 points against the five-year pace of 95%.

▲

28.1

million cwt, 2025 forecast

+6.6% against last year's final crop.

Analysis

Latest USDA forecast, November 2025

Wisconsin potato forecast up 6.6% on year

USDA's November 2025 forecast puts the Wisconsin potato crop at 28.1 million cwt, up 6.6% from last year's final total of 26.4 million cwt. That is still shy of the 28.4 million cwt final logged two years ago. Past November forecasts in Wisconsin have typically overshot, finishing an average of 2.1% smaller once USDA issues its final number, so this initial 28.1 million cwt figure could ease somewhat by the time the crop is fully accounted for. Watch USDA's end-of-season report for the final tally against this forecast.

Written from USDA data and source reports

Forecast reliability

±5.4%

Average gap between the season's first USDA forecast and the final crop across the last 5 completed seasons.

Weekly ratings

Crop condition, 2021

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.

202520242023202220212020
Wisconsin potato crop condition, 20210%25%50%75%100%Week ending May 30: Very poor 0%, Poor 2%, Fair 7%, Good 76%, Excellent 15% — good+excellent 91% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Week ending Jun 6: Very poor 0%, Poor 2%, Fair 12%, Good 67%, Excellent 19% — good+excellent 86% (5-yr avg —, last year —)Week ending Jun 13: Very poor 0%, Poor 1%, Fair 14%, Good 64%, Excellent 21% — good+excellent 85% (5-yr avg 91%, last year 94%)Week ending Jun 20: Very poor 0%, Poor 1%, Fair 12%, Good 77%, Excellent 10% — good+excellent 87% (5-yr avg 87%, last year 94%)Week ending Jun 27: Very poor 0%, Poor 1%, Fair 11%, Good 67%, Excellent 21% — good+excellent 88% (5-yr avg 86%, last year 96%)Week ending Jul 4: Very poor 0%, Poor 2%, Fair 3%, Good 70%, Excellent 25% — good+excellent 95% (5-yr avg 88%, last year 93%)Week ending Jul 11: Very poor 0%, Poor 2%, Fair 2%, Good 73%, Excellent 23% — good+excellent 96% (5-yr avg 87%, last year 95%)Week ending Jul 18: Very poor 0%, Poor 2%, Fair 3%, Good 71%, Excellent 24% — good+excellent 95% (5-yr avg 85%, last year 94%)Week ending Jul 25: Very poor 0%, Poor 1%, Fair 3%, Good 71%, Excellent 25% — good+excellent 96% (5-yr avg 85%, last year 89%)Week ending Aug 1: Very poor 0%, Poor 2%, Fair 5%, Good 61%, Excellent 32% — good+excellent 93% (5-yr avg 87%, last year 92%)Week ending Aug 8: Very poor 0%, Poor 0%, Fair 5%, Good 70%, Excellent 25% — good+excellent 95% (5-yr avg 86%, last year 90%)Week ending Aug 15: Very poor 0%, Poor 1%, Fair 5%, Good 74%, Excellent 20% — good+excellent 94% (5-yr avg 86%, last year 98%)Week ending Aug 22: Very poor 0%, Poor 2%, Fair 6%, Good 65%, Excellent 27% — good+excellent 92% (5-yr avg 84%, last year 93%)Week ending Aug 29: Very poor 0%, Poor 2%, Fair 6%, Good 64%, Excellent 28% — good+excellent 92% (5-yr avg 83%, last year 89%)Week ending Sep 5: Very poor 1%, Poor 2%, Fair 7%, Good 63%, Excellent 27% — good+excellent 90% (5-yr avg 83%, last year 93%)Week ending Sep 12: Very poor 1%, Poor 2%, Fair 11%, Good 59%, Excellent 27% — good+excellent 86% (5-yr avg 83%, last year 92%)Week ending Sep 19: Very poor 1%, Poor 2%, Fair 11%, Good 60%, Excellent 26% — good+excellent 86% (5-yr avg —, last year —)−5 pts — week ending Jun 6−5 ptsHarvest begins — week ending Jul 11Harvest beginsUSDA forecast — week ending Sep 19USDA forecastMay 30Jun 20Jul 11Aug 1Aug 22Sep 12
Very poorPoorFairGoodExcellent5-yr avg good+excellentLast year

Latest: 86% good or excellent, week ending Sep 19. Hover a bar for the full breakdown.

Field progress

Planted, 2021

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

Wisconsin potato planted, 20210%50%100%Planted, week ending Apr 11: 6% (5-yr avg 1%, last year 1%)Planted, week ending Apr 18: 15% (5-yr avg 6%, last year 6%)Planted, week ending Apr 25: 37% (5-yr avg 19%, last year 28%)Planted, week ending May 2: 59% (5-yr avg 38%, last year 55%)Planted, week ending May 9: 77% (5-yr avg 56%, last year 66%)Planted, week ending May 16: 91% (5-yr avg 74%, last year 78%)Planted, week ending May 23: 97% (5-yr avg 87%, last year 87%)Planted, week ending May 30: 98% (5-yr avg 92%, last year 91%)Apr 11Apr 18Apr 25May 2May 9May 16May 23May 30
This year5-yr avgLast year

Planted: 98% as of May 30 (5-yr avg 92%).

Field progress

Harvested, 2021

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

Wisconsin potato harvested, 20210%50%100%Harvested, week ending Jul 4: 0% (5-yr avg 0%, last year 0%)Harvested, week ending Jul 11: 1% (5-yr avg 0%, last year 0%)Harvested, week ending Jul 18: 3% (5-yr avg 1%, last year 1%)Harvested, week ending Jul 25: 5% (5-yr avg 4%, last year 4%)Harvested, week ending Aug 1: 8% (5-yr avg 8%, last year 7%)Harvested, week ending Aug 8: 14% (5-yr avg 11%, last year 10%)Harvested, week ending Aug 15: 20% (5-yr avg 15%, last year 19%)Harvested, week ending Aug 22: 24% (5-yr avg 19%, last year 23%)Harvested, week ending Aug 29: 27% (5-yr avg 22%, last year 27%)Harvested, week ending Sep 5: 33% (5-yr avg 29%, last year 38%)Harvested, week ending Sep 12: 40% (5-yr avg 37%, last year 46%)Harvested, week ending Sep 19: 52% (5-yr avg 49%, last year 56%)Harvested, week ending Sep 26: 63% (5-yr avg 61%, last year 70%)Harvested, week ending Oct 3: 71% (5-yr avg 72%, last year 78%)Harvested, week ending Oct 10: 82% (5-yr avg 82%, last year 88%)Harvested, week ending Oct 17: 93% (5-yr avg 89%, last year 93%)Harvested, week ending Oct 24: 99% (5-yr avg 95%, last year 98%)Jul 4Jul 25Aug 15Sep 5Sep 26Oct 17
This year5-yr avgLast year

Harvested: 99% as of Oct 24 (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.

Wisconsin potato crop: USDA first forecast vs final010203040million cwt2014: no forecast · final 26.2 million cwt20142015: no forecast · final 29.6 million cwt20152016: no forecast · final 29.6 million cwt20162017: no forecast · final 29.8 million cwt20172018: no forecast · final 27.1 million cwt20182019: Nov forecast 29.0 million cwt · final 27.5 million cwt (-5.2%)−5.2%20192020: Nov forecast 28.3 million cwt · final 27.5 million cwt (-2.8%)−2.8%20202021: Nov forecast 31.2 million cwt · final 28.6 million cwt (-8.2%)−8.2%20212022: Nov forecast 27.6 million cwt · final 26.2 million cwt (-5.1%)−5.1%20222023: Nov forecast 29.8 million cwt · final 28.4 million cwt (-4.9%)−4.9%20232024: Nov forecast 25.1 million cwt · final 26.4 million cwt (+5.3%)+5.3%20242025: Nov forecast 28.1 million cwt · final 29.1 million cwt (+3.6%)+3.6%2025
First forecastFinalFinal pending
Crop yearFirst forecast (million cwt)FinalRevisionCrop valueShare of US
202528.1 November29.1+3.6%$466M7.0%
202425.1 November26.4+5.3%$407M6.3%
202329.8 November28.4−4.9%$439M6.4%
202227.6 November26.2−5.1%$409M6.5%
202131.2 November28.6−8.2%$372M6.9%
202028.3 November27.5−2.8%$336M6.6%
201929.0 November27.5−5.2%$324M6.5%
2018—27.1—$285M6.0%
2017—29.8—$324M6.6%
2016—29.6—$343M6.6%
2015—29.6—$287M6.6%
2014—26.2—$273M5.8%

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.

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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