COLORADO HIGHLIGHTS

Winter wheat production in Colorado, based on conditions as of July 1, 2022, is forecast at 44.55 million bushels, according to the July 1 Agricultural Yield Survey conducted by the Mountain Regional Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA. This forecast is 36 percent below the 69.56 million bushel crop produced last year. Estimated acreage for harvest, at 1.65 million acres, is 230,000 acres less than the 1.88 million acres harvested in 2021. As of July 1, the average yield is forecast at 27.0 bushels per acre, 1.0 bushel per acre below the June 1 forecast and 10.0 bushels below last year’s final yield.

As of July 3, Colorado's winter wheat crop condition was rated 23 percent very poor, 26 percent poor, 34 percent fair, and 17 percent good, compared with 3 percent very poor, 11 percent poor, 26 percent fair, 44 percent good, and 16 percent excellent last year. Winter wheat harvest was 8 percent complete, compared with 7 percent last year and the 5-year average of 18 percent.

Barley production is forecast at 8.22 million bushels, up 58 percent from the 2021 crop. Acreage harvested is expected to total 60,000 acres, up 13,000 acres from the 47,000 acres harvested last year. Barley yield is forecast at 137.0 bushels per acre, 26.0 bushels per acre above last year.

As of July 3, Colorado’s barley crop condition was rated 8 percent very poor, 13 percent poor, 35 percent fair, 33 percent good, and 11 percent excellent, compared with 6 percent very poor, 10 percent poor, 29 percent fair, 40 percent good, and 15 percent excellent last year. Barley was 57 percent headed, compared with 77 percent last year and the 5-year average of 75 percent.