LAKEWOOD, Colo. — 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.
UNITED STATES HIGHLIGHTS
Winter wheat production is forecast at 1.20 billion bushels, up 2 percent from the June 1 forecast but down 6 percent from 2021. As of July 1, the United States yield is forecast at 48.0 bushels per acre, down 0.2 bushel from last month and down 2.2 bushels from last year’s average yield of 50.2 bushels per acre. Area expected to be harvested for grain or seed totals 25.0 million acres, unchanged from the Acreage report released on June 30, 2022, but down 2 percent from last year. Hard Red Winter production, at 585 million bushels, is up 1 percent from last month. Soft Red Winter, at 376 million bushels, is up 5 percent from the June forecast. White Winter, at 240 million bushels, is down 1 percent from last month. Of the White Winter production, 15.1 million bushels are Hard White and 225 million bushels are Soft White.
Barley production is forecast at 175 million bushels, up 49 percent from 2021. Based on conditions as of July 1, the average yield for the United States is forecast at 73.0 bushels per acre, up 12.6 bushels from last year. Area harvested for grain or seed, at 2.40 million acres is unchanged from the Acreage report released on June 30, 2022, but up 23 percent from 2021.
For a full copy of the Crop Production report, please visit www.nass.usda.gov.
–USDA, NASS
