COLORADO HIGHLIGHTS 

Based on August 1 conditions, corn production in Colorado is forecast at 145.60 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 up 18 percent from last year’s 122.96 million bushels. The 1.12 million acres expected to be harvested for grain this year is unchanged from the June estimate and up 60,000 acres from the acres harvested a year ago. Average yield is expected to increase 14.0 bushels per acre from last year to 130.0 bushels per acre. As of August 1, Colorado’s corn crop condition was rated 1 percent very poor, 9 percent poor, 25 percent fair, 50 percent good, and 15 percent excellent. Corn silking was 86 percent complete, compared with 82 percent last year and the 5-year average of 75 percent. 

Sorghum production in 2021 is forecast at 12.05 million bushels, up 136 percent from the 5.10 million bushels harvested a year earlier. Growers expect to harvest 365,000 acres this year, up from the 255,000 acres harvested last year. Average yield is forecast at 33.0 bushels per acre, 13.0 bushels per acre above last year’s final yield. As of August 1, the sorghum crop condition was rated 2 percent poor, 17 percent fair, 71 percent good, and 10 percent excellent. Sorghum headed was 48 percent complete, compared with 25 percent last year and the 5-year average of 36 percent. 

Barley production is forecast at 5.18 million bushels, down 7 percent from the July 1 forecast and down 21 percent from last year’s crop. If realized, this would be the lowest barley production since 4.83 million bushels were produced in 2006. Area for harvest in 2021, at 45,000 acres, is unchanged from the acres harvested last year. Barley yield is forecast at 115.0 bushels per acre, down 8.0 bushels per acre from the July 1 forecast and 30.0 bushels per acre below last year. If realized, this would be the lowest yield since 115.0 bushels per acre in 2006. As of August 1, the barley crop condition was rated 5 percent very poor, 11 percent poor, 33 percent fair, 34 percent good, and 17 percent excellent. Barley harvest was 2 percent complete, compared with 2 percent last year and the 5-year average of 5 percent. 

Winter wheat production is forecast at 72.15 million bushels, down 5 percent from the July 1 forecast but up 76 percent from the 41.04 million bushels produced last year. Area for harvest is expected to total 1.85 million acres, 330,000 acres more than the 1.52 million acres harvested in 2020. As of August 1, the average yield is forecast at 39.0 bushels per acre, down 2.0 bushels per acre from the July 1 forecast but 12.0 bushels per acre above last year’s final yield. 

Colorado farmers and ranchers expect to harvest 730,000 acres of alfalfa hay this year, up 30,000 acres from 2020. They also expect to harvest 680,000 acres of other hay in 2021, unchanged from last year. Alfalfa production is forecast at 2.92 million tons, up 23 percent from the 2.38 million tons produced in 2020. If realized, this would be the highest alfalfa hay production since 3.32 million tons were produced in 2009. Other hay production is forecast at 952,000 tons, up 4 percent from the 918,000 tons produced a year ago. Yields are expected to average 4.00 tons per acre for alfalfa hay and 1.40 tons per acre for other hay, compared to last year’s yields of 3.40 tons per acre for alfalfa hay and 1.35 tons per acre for other hay. 

Dry bean production for 2021 is forecast at 582,000 hundredweight, down 46 percent from the 1.07 million hundredweight produced a year earlier. If realized, this would be the lowest dry bean production since 540,000 hundredweight were produced in 2013. Yields are expected to average 1,940 pounds per acre, down from 2,060 pounds per acre last year. Growers expect to harvest 30,000 acres this year, down 22,000 acres from 52,000 acres last year. If realized, this would be the lowest dry bean harvested acreage since 28,000 acres were harvested in 1915. As of August 1, 75 percent of the dry bean crop was blooming, compared with 58 percent last year and the five-year average of 66 percent. The dry bean crop was rated 13 percent poor, 37 percent fair, 34 percent good, and 16 percent excellent. 

Sugarbeet production is forecast at 782,000 tons, up 5 percent from the 742,000 tons produced in 2020. Growers expect to harvest 24,600 acres this year compared with 23,700 acres a year ago. Yields are expected to average 31.8 tons per acre, up from 31.3 tons per acre a year ago. As of August 1, the sugarbeet crop was rated 28 percent fair, 56 percent good, and 16 percent excellent. 

Colorado peach production for 2021 is forecast at 8,500 tons, up 99 percent from last year’s production of 4,280 tons, when a severe freeze in the western slope growing region severely damaged the crop. 

UNITED STATES HIGHLIGHTS 

Corn production for grain is forecast at 14.8 billion bushels, up 4 percent from 2020. Based on conditions as of August 1, yields are expected to average 174.6 bushels per harvested acre, up 2.6 bushels from last year. Area harvested for grain is forecast at 84.5 million acres, unchanged from the June forecast, but up 2 percent from the previous year. 

Sorghum production is forecast at 409 million bushels, up 10 percent from last year. Area harvested for grain is forecast at 5.79 million acres, unchanged from the previous forecast but up 14 percent from 2020. Based on August 1 conditions, yield is forecast at 70.8 bushels per acre, 2.4 bushels below the 2020 yield of 73.2 bushels per acre. 

Barley production is forecast at 106 million bushels, down 8 percent from the previous forecast and down 36 percent from 2020. If realized, this would be the lowest production since 1900. Based on conditions as of August 1, the average yield for the United States is forecast at 51.6 bushels per acre, down 4.3 bushels from the previous forecast and down 25.9 bushels from last year. Barley producers are expecting the lowest yield since 1989. Area harvested for grain or seed, at 2.04 million acres, is unchanged from the previous forecast, but down 4 percent from 2020. 

All wheat production for grain is forecast at 1.70 billion bushels, down 3 percent from the previous forecast and down 7 percent from 2020. Based on August 1 conditions, yields are expected to average 44.5 bushels per harvested acre, down 1.3 bushel from the previous forecast and down 5.2 bushels from 2020. Area harvested for grain is forecast at 38.1 million acres, unchanged from the previous forecast, but up 4 percent from 2020. 

Winter wheat production is forecast at 1.32 billion bushels, down 3 percent from the July 1 forecast but up 13 percent from 2020. As of August 1, the United States yield is forecast at 51.8 bushels per acre, down 1.8 bushels from last month but up 0.9 bushel from last year’s average yield of 50.9 bushels per acre. Area expected to be harvested for grain or seed totals 25.4 million acres, unchanged from last month, but up 11 percent from last year. Hard Red Winter production, at 777 million bushels, is down 3 percent from last month. Soft Red Winter, at 366 million bushels, is up 1 percent from the July forecast. White Winter, at 176 million bushels, is down 11 percent from last month. Of the White Winter production, 16.1 million bushels are Hard White and 160 million bushels are Soft White. 

Production of alfalfa and alfalfa mixture dry hay for 2021 is forecast at 47.8 million tons, down 10 percent from 2020. Based on August 1 conditions, yields are expected to average 2.97 tons per acre, down 0.3 ton from last year. Harvested area is forecast at 16.1 million acres, unchanged from the Acreage report but down 1 percent from 2020. Production of other hay is forecast at 70.9 million tons, down 4 percent from 2020. Based on August 1 conditions, the United States yield is expected to average 2.00 tons per acre, down 0.05 ton from last year. Harvested area is forecast at 35.4 million acres, unchanged from the Acreage report but down 2 percent from 2020. 

Production of dry edible beans is forecast at 23.3 million cwt, down 29 percent from 2020. Area planted is estimated at 1.46 million acres, down 3 percent from the Acreage report and down 16 percent from 2020. Area harvested is forecast at 1.39 million acres, down 3 percent from the Acreage report and down 17 percent from 2020. The average United States yield is forecast at 1,675 pounds per acre, a decrease of 291 pounds from last season. 

Production of sugarbeets for the 2021 crop year is forecast at 33.7 million tons, up slightly from last year. Sugarbeet producers expect to harvest 1.13 million acres, unchanged from the Acreage report but down 1 percent from 2020. Yield is forecast at 29.7 tons per acre, an increase of 0.3 ton from last year. 

The 2021 United States peach crop is forecast at 696,500 tons, is up 13 percent from 2020. In California, the largest growing State, production is forecast at 510,000 tons, is up 6 percent from the previous forecast and up 9 percent from 2020.