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 4 percent from 2020 to 5.98 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 1.40 million acres of corn this year of which they intend to harvest 1.12 million acres for grain, up from 1.06 million acres harvested in 2020. This is an increase of 6 percent from last year’s harvested grain acreage but a 1 percent decrease in planted acreage for all purposes. Sorghum plantings, at 420,000 acres, are up 14 percent from the previous year and acreage expected to be harvested for grain, at 365,000 acres, increased 43 percent from 2020. 

Barley planted area, at 49,000 acres, is 8 percent less than last year’s acreage. Expected harvested acres, at 45,000 acres, are unchanged from 2020. 

Winter wheat producers planted 2.15 million acres in the fall of 2020 for harvest in 2021, up from 1.90 million acres planted for the previous year’s crop. Acreage expected to be harvested for grain is up 330,000 acres from last year to 1.85 million acres. Proso millet seedings are expected to total 375,000 acres this year, down 12 percent from 2020. 

The area to be harvested for hay is expected to increase 30,000 acres from a year ago to 1.41 million acres. Alfalfa hay harvested acreage is expected to increase 30,000 acres from last year to 730,000 acres and all other hay harvested acreage is expected to be unchanged at 680,000 acres. All sunflower planted area, at 61,000 acres, is 1,000 acres above last year. Oil type varieties totaled 45,000 acres, up 3,000 acres from 2020 while non-oil type varieties are set at 16,000 acres, down 2,000 acres from last year. Harvested acres are expected to total 40,000 acres for oil type and 15,000 acres for non-oil. 

Sugarbeet plantings increased 800 acres from last year to 25,000 acres. The expected harvested area, at 24,600 acres, is 900 acres above last year. Acres planted to dry beans, at 38,000 acres, are down 34 percent from last year. Harvested acres are expected to total 34,000 acres. Potatoes planted in Colorado are estimated at 53,000 acres, a 2 percent decrease from the 54,000 acres planted last year, with 52,700 acres expected to be harvested, down 2 percent from last year. 

UNITED STATES HIGHLIGHTS 

Corn planted area for all purposes in 2021 is estimated at 92.7 million acres, up 2 percent or 1.87 million acres from last year. Compared with last year, planted acreage is expected to be up or unchanged in 28 of the 48 estimating States. Area harvested for grain, at 84.5 million acres, is up 2 percent from last year. 

Sorghum growers planted 6.49 million acres of sorghum for all purposes in 2021, up 10 percent from last year. Kansas and Texas, the leading sorghum-producing States, account for 80 percent of the United States acreage. Growers expect to harvest 5.79 million acres for grain, up 14 percent from last year. 

Producers seeded 2.60 million acres of barley for the 2021 crop year, down 1 percent from the previous year. Harvested area, forecast at 2.04 million acres, is down 4 percent from 2020. 

All wheat planted area for 2021 is estimated at 46.7 million acres, up 5 percent from 2020. This represents the fourth lowest all wheat planted area since records began in 1919. The 2021 winter wheat planted area, at 33.7 million acres, is up 11 percent from last year and up 2 percent from the previous estimate. Of this total, about 23.6 million acres are Hard Red Winter, 6.59 million acres are Soft Red 

Winter, and 3.50 million acres are White Winter. Area harvested for grain is forecast at 25.4 million acres, up 3 percent from the previous forecast and up 11 percent from last year. Area expected to be planted to other spring wheat for 2021 is estimated at 11.6 million acres, down 5 percent from 2020. Of this total, about 10.8 million acres are Hard Red Spring wheat. Harvested area is expected to total 11.2 million acres, 7 percent below 2020. Durum planted area for 2021 is expected to total 1.48 million acres, down 12 percent from the previous year. Area harvested for grain is expected to total 1.44 million acres, down 13 percent from last year. 

Area planted to proso millet in 2021 is estimated at 600,000 acres, down 9,000 acres from 2020 

Producers intend to harvest 51.5 million acres of all hay in 2021, down 1 percent from 2020. If realized, this will represent the lowest total hay harvested area since 1907. The decrease in acreage is primarily due to dry growing conditions across the Great Plains. Alfalfa harvested acreage is expected to be 16.1 million acres, down 1 percent from 2020. All other hay (excluding alfalfa) is expected to be down 2 percent from last year, at 35.4 million acres. 

Area planted to sunflower in 2021 totals 1.38 million acres, down 20 percent from 2020. This represents the third lowest planted area for the Nation since 1976. Harvested area for sunflower is forecast at 1.31 million acres, a decrease of 21 percent from last year. Planted area of oil type varieties, at 1.25 million acres, is down 16 percent from 2020. This represents the fifth lowest planted area for the Nation since 1976.Area planted to non-oil varieties, estimated at 130,000 acres, is down 43 percent from last year and is the lowest on record for the Nation. 

Area planted to sugarbeets for the 2021 crop year is estimated at 1.16 million acres, up slightly from 2020. Harvested area is forecast at 1.13 million acres, down 1 percent from last year. 

Area planted for dry edible beans in 2021 is estimated at 1.51 million acres, down 13 percent from last year. Area harvested is forecast to total 1.44 million acres, down 14 percent from last year. 

Area planted to potatoes in 2021 is estimated at 943,000 acres, up 2 percent from 2020. Harvested area is forecast at 935,200 acres, up 2 percent from the previous year.