Colorado Crop Production Highlights – August 2018

NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SERVICE COLORADO FIELD OFFICE

Based on August 1 conditions, corn production in Colorado is forecast at 178.22 million bushels, according to the August 1 Agricultural Yield Survey conducted by the Mountain Regional Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA. This forecast is down 4 percent from last year’s 185.90 million bushels. The 1.34 million acres expected to be harvested for grain this year is unchanged from the June estimate and 40,000 acres above the 1.30 million acres harvested a year ago. Average yield is expected to decrease 10.0 bushels per acre from last year to 133.0 bushels per acre. As of July 29, Colorado’s corn crop condition was rated 2 percent very poor, 8 percent poor, 28 percent fair, 49 percent good, and 13 percent excellent. Corn silking was 73 percent complete, compared with 62 percent last year and the 5-year average of 57 percent.

Sorghum production in 2018 is forecast at 14.00 million bushels, down 32 percent from the 20.52 million bushels harvested a year earlier. Growers expect to harvest 350,000 acres this year, down from the 360,000 acres harvested last year. Average yield is forecast at 40.0 bushels per acre, 17.0 bushels below last year’s final yield. As of July 29, the sorghum crop condition was rated 4 percent very poor, 13 percent poor, 26 percent fair, 55 percent good, and 2 percent excellent. Sorghum headed was 39 percent complete, compared with 21 percent last year and the 5-year average of 20 percent.

Barley production is forecast at 6.50 million bushels, up 6 percent from the July 1 forecast, but down 28 percent from last year’s crop. Area for harvest in 2018, at 50,000 acres, is down 18,000 acres from the 68,000 acres harvested last year. Barley yield is forecast at 130.0 bushels per acre, up 7.0 bushels from the July 1 forecast, but 2.0 bushels per acre lower than last year. As of July 29, the barley crop condition was rated 27 percent fair, 48 percent good, and 25 percent excellent. Barley harvest was 4 percent complete, compared with 3 percent last year and the 5-year average of 8 percent.

Winter wheat production is forecast at 75.85 million bushels, unchanged from the July 1 forecast and down 13 percent from the 86.86 million bushels produced last year. Area for harvest is expected to total 2.05 million acres, 30,000 acres more than the 2.02 million acres harvested in 2017. As of August 1, the average yield is forecast at 37.0 bushels per acre, unchanged from the July 1 forecast and 6.0 bushels below last year’s final yield. As of July 29, Colorado’s winter wheat harvest was 97 percent complete, compared with 93 percent last year and the 5-year average of 92 percent.

Colorado farmers and ranchers expect to harvest 730,000 acres of alfalfa hay this year, up 10,000 acres from 2017. They also expect to harvest 690,000 acres of other hay in 2018, down 30,000 acres from last year. Alfalfa production is forecast at 2.70 million tons, down 4 percent from the 2.81 million tons produced in 2017. Other hay production is forecast at 1.24 million tons, down 4 percent from the 1.30 million tons produced a year ago. Yields are expected to average 3.70 tons per acre for alfalfa and 1.80 tons per acre for other hay, compared to last year’s yields of 3.90 tons per acre for alfalfa hay and 1.80 tons per acre for other hay.

Dry bean production for 2018 is forecast at 819,000 hundredweight, down 25 percent from the 1.09 million hundredweight produced a year earlier. Yields are expected to average 2,100 pounds per acre, up from 2,000 pounds per acre last year. Growers expect to harvest 39,000 acres this year, down 15,500 acres from 54,500 acres last year. Sugarbeet production is forecast at 955,000 tons, down 8 percent from the 1.04 million tons produced in 2017. Growers expect to harvest 25,800 acres this year compared with 29,000 acres a year ago. Yields are expected to average 37.0 tons per acre, up from 35.7 tons per acre a year ago.

Colorado peach production for 2018 is forecast at 16,000 tons, up 49 percent from last year’s production of 10,750 tons.

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