COLORADO HIGHLIGHTS 

Colorado principal crop planted acreage, which includes acres planted to all major crops and those expected to be cut for all hay, is up less than one-half percent from 2018 to 6.18 million acres, according to the June 1 Agricultural Survey conducted by the Mountain Regional Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA. 

Colorado corn producers planted 1.47 million acres of corn this year of which they intend to harvest 1.20 million acres for grain in 2018. This is no change from last years planted acreage for all purposes and harvested grain acreage. Sorghum plantings, at 350,000 acres, are down 1 percent from the previous year and acreage expected to be harvested for grain, at 310,000 acres, decreased 5 percent from 2018. 

Barley planted area, at 80,000 acres, is 38 percent more than last year’s acreage. Expected harvested acres, at 77,000 acres, are 48 percent above 2018. 

Winter wheat producers planted 2.30 million acres in the fall of 2018 for harvest in 2019, up from 2.25 million acres planted for the previous year’s crop. Acreage expected to be harvested for grain is up 200,000 acres from last year to 2.15 million acres. Proso millet seedings are expected to total 310,000 acres this year, up 3 percent from 2018. 

The area to be harvested for hay is expected to increase 40,000 acres from a year ago to 1.46 million acres. Alfalfa hay harvested acreage is expected to be unchanged from last year at 730,000 acres and all other hay harvested acreage is expected to increase 40,000 acres to 730,000 acres. All sunflower planted area, at 87,000 acres, is 21,000 acres above last year. Oil type varieties totaled 70,000 acres, up 12,000 acres from 2018 while non-oil type varieties are set at 17,000 acres, up 9,000 acres from last year. Harvested acres are expected to total 63,000 acres for oil type and 15,000 acres for non-oil. 

Sugarbeet plantings decreased 1,000 acres from last year to 25,300 acres. The expected harvested area, at 25,000 acres, is 500 acres below last year. Acres planted to dry beans, at 40,000 acres, are down 5 percent from last year. Harvested acres are expected to total 38,000 acres. Fall potatoes located in the San Luis Valley showed a 4 percent decrease in planted acres from 51,800 acres last year to 49,500 acres this year. Fall potatoes located outside the San Luis Valley in Colorado (included in Summer Potatoes prior to 2013) totaled 4,500 planted acres, up 1,000 acres last year. 

UNITED STATES HIGHLIGHTS 

Corn planted area for all purposes in 2019 is estimated at 91.7 million acres, up 3 percent from last year. Compared with last year, planted acres are up or unchanged in 40 of the 48 estimating States. Area harvested for grain, at 83.6 million acres, is up 2 percent from last year. 

Sorghum growers planted 5.13 million acres for all purposes in 2019, down 10 percent from last year. Kansas and Texas, the leading sorghum-producing States, account for 79 percent of the United States acreage. Growers expect to harvest 4.59 million acres for grain, down 9 percent from last year. 

Area seeded to oats for the 2019 crop year is estimated at 2.55 million acres, down slightly from 2018 for comparable States. Planted acreage is down or unchanged in 13 of the 23 major producing States compared with last year. 

Barley producers seeded 2.86 million acres of barley for the 2019 crop year, up 12 percent from the previous year. Harvested area, forecast at 2.33 million acres, is up 18 percent from 2018.