USDA NASS Colorado Crop Production Report.

CROP PRODUCTION – SEPTEMBER 2020

COLORADO HIGHLIGHTS

Based on September 1 conditions, corn production in Colorado is forecast at 152.10 million bushels, according to the September 1 Agricultural Yield Survey conducted by the Mountain Regional Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA. This forecast is unchanged from the August 1 forecast and down 5 percent from the 159.90 million bushels produced last year. The 1.30 million acres expected to be harvested for grain this year are unchanged from the August 1 forecast and unchanged from a year ago. Corn yield is estimated at 117.0 bushels per acre, unchanged from the August 1 forecast and 6.0 bushels below last year’s final yield.

As of August 30, Colorado’s corn crop condition was rated 26 percent very poor, 18 percent poor, 25 percent fair, 27 percent good, and 4 percent excellent. Corn in the dent stage was 39 percent complete, compared with 19 percent last year and the 5-year average of 37 percent.

Sorghum production in 2020 is forecast at 11.88 million bushels, down 10 percent from the August 1 forecast and down 7 percent from the 12.71 million bushels harvested last year. Growers expect to harvest 330,000 acres this year, unchanged from the August 1 forecast and up from the 310,000 acres harvested last year. Average yield is forecast at 36.0 bushels per acre, down 4.0 bushels from the August

1 forecast and down 5.0 bushels from last year. As of August 30, Colorado’s sorghum crop condition was rated 20 percent very poor, 23 percent poor, 40 percent fair, 15 percent good, and 2 percent excellent. Sorghum turning color was 39 percent complete, compared with 16 percent last year and the 5-year average of 37 percent.

Sugarbeet production is forecast at 790,000 tons, up 5 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 32.9 tons per acre, down 0.4 ton per acre from the August 1 forecast but up from last year’s yield of 30.7 tons per acre. As of August 30, Colorado’s sugarbeet crop condition was rated 9 percent very poor, 11 percent poor, 24 percent fair, 48 percent good, and 8 percent excellent.

UNITED STATES HIGHLIGHTS

Corn production for grain is forecast at 14.9 billion bushels, down 2 percent from the previous forecast but up 9 percent from 2019. Based on conditions as of September 1, yields are expected to average a record high 178.5 bushels per harvested acre, down 3.3 bushels from the previous forecast but up 11.1 bushels from last year. Area harvested for grain is forecast at 83.5 million acres, down 1 percent from the previous forecast, but up 3 percent from the previous year.

Sorghum production is forecast at 358 million bushels, up 5 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 September 1 conditions, yield is forecast at 73.9 bushels per acre, 1 bushel above the 2019 yield of 73.0 bushels per acre. If realized, the average yield for the Nation will represent the third highest yield on record.

Production of sugarbeets for the 2020 crop year is forecast at 35.1 million tons, down 1 percent from last month but up 23 percent from last year. Yield is forecast at 31.2 tons per acre, a decrease of 0.2 ton from the previous forecast but up 2.0 tons from last year.

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