Crop Production – August 2015 / Colorado Highlights

Based on August 1 conditions, corn production in Colorado is forecast at 144.00 million bushels, according to the Mountain Regional Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA. This forecast is down 2 percent from last year’s 147.46 million bushels. The 960,000 acres expected to be harvested for grain this year is unchanged from the June forecast but 50,000 acres below the 1,010,000 acres harvested a year ago. Average yield is expected to increase 4.0 bushels per acre from last year to 150.0 bushels per acre. As of August 2, Colorado’s corn crop condition was rated 3 percent poor, 20 percent fair, 64 percent good, and 13 percent excellent. Corn silking was 72 percent complete, compared with 65 percent last year and the 5-year average of 72 percent. 

Sorghum production in 2015 is forecast at 12.00 million bushels, up 43 percent from the 8.40 million bushels harvested a year earlier. Growers expect to harvest 300,000 acres this year, unchanged from the June forecast but up from the 280,000 acres harvested last year. Average yield is forecast at 40.0 bushels per acre, 10.0 bushels above last year’s final yield. As of August 2, the sorghum crop condition was rated 5 percent poor, 31 percent fair, 61 percent good, and 3 percent excellent. Sorghum headed was 20 percent complete, compared with 16 percent last year and the 5-year average of 33 percent. 

Barley production is forecast at 8.31 million bushels, down 2 percent from the July 1 forecast but up 24 percent from last year’s crop. Area for harvest in 2015, at 62,000 acres, is up 8,000 acres from the 54,000 acres harvested last year. Barley yield is forecast at 134.0 bushels per acre, down 3.0 bushels from the July 1 forecast, but 10.0 bushels per acre higher than last year. As of August 2, the barley crop condition was rated 15 percent fair, 54 percent good, and 31 percent excellent. Barley harvest was 10 percent complete, compared with 26 percent last year and the 5-year average of 15 percent. 

Winter wheat production is forecast at 83.25 million bushels, down 5 percent from the July 1 forecast and down 7 percent from the 89.30 million bushels produced last year. Area for harvest is expected to total 2.25 million acres, unchanged from July 1 but 100,000 acres less than the 2.35 million acres harvested in 2014. As of August 1, the average yield is forecast at 37.0 bushels per acre, 2.0 bushels below the July 1 forecast and 1.0 bushel below last year’s final yield. As of August 2, Colorado’s winter wheat harvest was 95 percent complete, compared with 95 percent last year and the 5-year average of 97 percent. 

Colorado farmers and ranchers expect to harvest 700,000 acres of alfalfa hay this year, down 40,000 acres from 2014. They also expect to harvest 700,000 acres of other hay in 2015, up 100,000 acres from last year. Alfalfa production is forecast at 2.80 million tons, up 11 percent from the 2.52 million tons produced in 2014. Other hay production is forecast at 1.33 million tons, up 27 percent from the 1.05 million tons a year ago. Yields are expected to average 4.00 tons per acre for alfalfa and 1.90 tons per acre for other hay, compared to last year’s yields of 3.40 tons per acre for alfalfa hay and 1.75 tons for other hay. 

Dry bean production for 2015 is forecast at 731,000 hundredweight, down 12 percent from the 835,000 hundredweight produced a year earlier. Yields are expected to average 1,700 pounds per acre, down from 1,900 pounds per acre last year. Growers expect to harvest 43,000 acres this year, down 1,000 acres from 44,000 acres last year. Sugarbeet production is forecast at 857,000 tons, down 7 percent from the 917,000 tons produced in 2014. Growers expect to harvest 26,700 acres this year compared with 29,300 a year ago. Yields are expected to average 32.1 tons per acre, up from 31.3 tons per acre a year ago.

Colorado peach production for 2015 is forecast at 13,000 tons, down 2 percent from last year’s production of 13,260 tons. Colorado commercial apple production for 2015 is forecast at 1.80 million pounds, down 80 percent from last year’s production of 8.90 million pounds.