COLORADO HIGHLIGHTS 

Based on August 1 conditions, corn production in Colorado is forecast at 152.10 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 5 percent from last year’s 159.90 million bushels. The 1.30 million acres expected to be harvested for grain this year is unchanged from the June estimate and unchanged from the acres harvested a year ago. Average yield is expected to decrease 6.0 bushels per acre from last year to 117.0 bushels per acre. As of August 2, Colorado’s corn crop condition was rated 10 percent very poor, 15 percent poor, 30 percent fair, 40 percent good, and 5 percent excellent. Corn silking was 84 percent complete, compared with 70 percent last year and the 5-year average of 75 percent. 

Sorghum production in 2020 is forecast at 13.20 million bushels, up 4 percent from the 12.71 million bushels harvested a year earlier. Growers expect to harvest 330,000 acres this year, up from the 310,000 acres harvested last year. Average yield is forecast at 40.0 bushels per acre, 1.0 bushel per acre below last year’s final yield. As of August 2, the sorghum crop condition was rated 7 percent very poor, 19 percent poor, 46 percent fair, 25 percent good, and 3 percent excellent. Sorghum headed was 26 percent complete, compared with 34 percent last year and the 5-year average of 38 percent.

Barley production is forecast at 8.82 million bushels, up 7 percent from the July 1 forecast and up 23 percent from last year’s crop. Area for harvest in 2020, at 63,000 acres, is up 11,000 acres from the 52,000 acres harvested last year. Barley yield is forecast at 140.0 bushels per acre, up 9.0 bushels per acre from the July 1 forecast and 2.0 bushels per acre above last year. As of August 2, the barley crop condition was rated 1 percent poor, 26 percent fair, 52 percent good, and 21 percent excellent. Barley harvest was 2 percent complete, compared with 5 percent last year and the 5-year average of 8 percent. 

Winter wheat production is forecast at 46.50 million bushels, down 9 percent from the July 1 forecast and down 53 percent from the 98.00 million bushels produced last year. Area for harvest is expected to total 1.55 million acres, 450,000 acres less than the 2.00 million acres harvested in 2019, and the lowest winter wheat harvested acres since 1922. As of August 1, the average yield is forecast at 30.0 bushels per acre, down 3.0 bushels per acre from the July 1 forecast and 19.0 bushels per acre below last year’s final yield. 

Colorado farmers and ranchers expect to harvest 710,000 acres of alfalfa hay this year, down 20,000 acres from 2019. They also expect to harvest 700,000 acres of other hay in 2020, down 30,000 acres from last year. Alfalfa production is forecast at 2.13 million tons, down 21 percent from the 2.70 million tons produced in 2019. Other hay production is forecast at 1.33 million tons, down 2 percent from the 1.35 million tons produced a year ago. Yields are expected to average 3.00 tons per acre for alfalfa hay and 1.90 tons per acre for other hay, compared to last year’s yields of 3.70 tons per acre for alfalfa hay and 1.85 tons per acre for other hay. 

Dry bean production for 2020 is forecast at 990,000 hundredweight, up 59 percent from the 623,000 hundredweight produced a year earlier. Yields are expected to average 2,020 pounds per acre, up from 1,840 pounds per acre last year. Growers expect to harvest 49,000 acres this year, up 15,200 acres from 33,800 acres last year. As of August 2, 61 percent of the dry bean crop was blooming, compared with 56 percent last year and the five-year average of 66 percent. The dry bean crop was rated 3 percent very poor, 23 percent poor, 38 percent fair, and 36 percent good. 

Sugarbeet production is forecast at 799,000 tons, up 7 percent from the 749,000 tons produced in 2019. Growers expect to harvest 24,000 acres this year compared with 24,400 acres a year ago. Yields are expected to average 33.3 tons per acre, up from 30.7 tons per acre a year ago. As of August 2, the sugarbeet crop was rated 1 percent very poor, 8 percent poor, 19 percent fair, 63 percent good, and 9 percent excellent. 

Colorado peach production for 2020 is forecast at 3,000 tons, down 79 percent from last year’s production of 14,300 tons, after a severe freeze in the western slope growing region severely damaged the crop. 

UNITED STATES HIGHLIGHTS 

Corn production for grain is forecast at a record high 15.3 billion bushels, up 12 percent from 2019. Based on conditions as of August 1, yields are expected to average a record high 181.8 bushels per harvested acre, up 14.4 bushels from last year. Area harvested for grain is forecast at 84.0 million acres, unchanged from the June forecast, but up 3 percent from the previous year. 

Sorghum production is forecast at 371 million bushels, up 9 percent from last year. Area harvested for grain is forecast at 4.85 million acres, unchanged from the previous forecast but up 4 percent from 2019. Based on August 1 conditions, yield is forecast at 76.6 bushels per acre, 3.6 bushels above the 2019 yield of 73.0 bushels per acre. If realized, the average yield for the Nation will represent the second highest yield on record.

Barley production is forecast at 176 million bushels, up 4 percent from the previous forecast and up 4 percent from 2019. Based on conditions as of August 1, the average yield for the United States is forecast at 78.8 bushels per acre, up 2.7 bushels from the previous forecast and up 1.1 bushels from last year. If realized, that would mark a new record high yield for the United States, surpassing the previous record of 77.9 bushels per acre in 2016. Area harvested for grain or seed, at 2.23 million acres, is unchanged from the previous forecast, but up 2 percent from 2019. 

All wheat production for grain is forecast at 1.84 billion bushels, up 1 percent from the previous forecast but down 4 percent from 2019. Based on August 1 conditions, yields are expected to average 50.1 bushels per harvested acre, up 0.4 bushel from the previous forecast, but down 1.6 bushels from 2019. Area harvested for grain is forecast at 36.7 million acres, unchanged from the previous forecast, but down 1 percent from 2019. 

Winter wheat production is forecast at 1.20 billion bushels, down 2 percent from the July 1 forecast and down 8 percent from 2019. As of August 1, the United States yield is forecast at 51.1 bushels per acre, down 0.9 bushel from last month and down 2.5 bushels from last year’s average yield of 53.6 bushels per acre. The area expected to be harvested for grain or seed totals 23.4 million acres, unchanged from the previous forecast, but down 4 percent from last year. Hard Red Winter production, at 695 million bushels, is down 2 percent from last month. Soft Red Winter, at 277 million bushels, is down 1 percent from the July forecast. White Winter, at 226 million bushels, is down less than 1 percent from last month. Of the White Winter production, 14.6 million bushels are Hard White and 212 million bushels are Soft White. 

Production of alfalfa and alfalfa mixture dry hay for 2020 is forecast at 51.7 million tons, down 6 percent from 2019. Based on August 1 conditions, yields are expected to average 3.16 tons per acre, down 0.12 ton from last year. Harvested area is forecast at 16.4 million acres, unchanged from the June forecast, and down 2 percent from 2019. 

Production of other hay is forecast at 73.6 million tons, down 1 percent from 2019. Based on August 1 conditions, the United States yield is expected to average 2.04 tons per acre, down 0.03 ton from last year. Harvested area is forecast at 36.0 million acres, unchanged from the Acreage report released on June 30, 2020, but up 1 percent from 2019. 

Production of dry edible beans is forecast at 32.8 million cwt, up 58 percent from the 2019. Area planted is estimated at 1.63 million acres, up 3 percent from the June forecast and up 26 percent from 2019. Area harvested is forecast at 1.57 million acres, up 2 percent from the June forecast and up 34 percent 2019. The average United States yield is forecast at 2,088 pounds per acre, an increase of 319 pounds from last season. 

Production of sugarbeets for the 2020 crop year is forecast at 35.4 million tons, up 24 percent from last year. Sugarbeet producers expect to harvest 1.13 million acres, unchanged from previous forecast but up 15 percent from last year. Expected yield is forecast at 31.4 tons per acre, an increase of 2.2 tons from last year. 

United States peach production is forecast at 645,500 tons, down 5 percent from 2019