Colorado’s 2026 wheat harvest started about 10 days ago. According to the June 29th USDA-NASS Crop Progress Report, Colorado was 32% harvested. This is well ahead of the five-year average of 5%. The overall crop condition was rated 9% good, 18% fair, and 73% poor-very poor.
Colorado’s 2026 wheat crop, after getting off to a great start last fall, has endured nearly every hardship imaginable—from drought and freeze damage to viruses, mites, wheat stem sawfly, and hail. According to the June 11th USDA-NASS Crop Production Report, Colorado is estimated to produce 33.6 million bushels, with an estimated average yield of 21 bushels per harvested acre. If this estimate holds, it would mark the state’s smallest wheat crop since 1965. The next USDA-NASS Crop Production Report will be released on July 10th. Our staff is expecting the NASS estimate to decrease after listening to harvest reports that have come into the office.
As mentioned earlier, drought and freeze damage have had a major impact on the crop. Abandonment is anticipated to be high. The NASS report released June 30th put abandonment at 38%, the worst since 1967. Fields that appear to have a thick stand sometimes turn out to have few kernels in the heads. Yields all across Eastern Colorado are variable. There are reports of dryland fields averaging anywhere from 5 to 40 bushels per acre. The bright spot will be the irrigated wheat, which will obviously have faced less damage from drought, but also less freeze damage. Crop quality has hung on so far, with average test weight at about 59 pounds per bushel and average protein at about 13%.
Temperatures are expected to be in the low to mid 90s for the next week, with very little chance of moisture, meaning things will most likely progress rapidly. The next harvest report will be released on July 10th.