NASS – USDA Crop Production Report, November 2018

COLORADO HIGHLIGHTS

Based on November 1 conditions, corn production in Colorado is forecast at 171.45 million bushels, down 8 percent from last year’s 185.90 million bushels, according to the November 1 Agricultural Yield Survey conducted by the Mountain Regional Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA. The 1.35 million acres expected to be harvested for grain this year are unchanged from the October forecast, but 50,000 acres above the 1.30 million acres harvested a year ago. Corn yield is estimated at 127.0 bushels per acre, unchanged from the October 1 forecast, but 16.0 bushels below last year’s final yield. As of November 4, Colorado’s corn harvested for grain was 65 percent complete, compared with 47 percent last year and the 5-year average of 66 percent.

Sorghum production in 2018 is forecast at 12.71 million bushels, down 38 percent from the 20.52 million bushels harvested last year. Growers expect to harvest 310,000 acres this year, unchanged from the October forecast, but down 50,000 acres from the 360,000 acres harvested last year. Average yield is forecast at 41.0 bushels per acre, down 4.0 bushels from the October 1 forecast and down 16.0 bushels from last year. As of November 4, Colorado’s sorghum harvested for grain was estimated at 48 percent complete, compared with 57 percent last year and the 5-year average of 62 percent. The sorghum crop was rated 15 percent very poor, 15 percent poor, 24 percent fair, 31 percent good, and 15 percent excellent as of November 4.

Sugarbeet production in Colorado is forecast at 833,000 tons, down 20 percent from the 1.04 million tons produced in 2017. Growers expect to harvest 25,700 acres this year, compared with 29,000 acres a year ago. Yields are expected to average 32.4 tons per acre, down 2.3 tons per acre from the October 1 forecast and down from last year’s yield of 35.7 tons per acre. Harvest of sugarbeets was estimated at 84 percent complete, compared with 77 percent last year and the 5-year average of 78 percent as of November 4.

Fall potato growers in Colorado produced an estimated 21.62 million hundredweight of potatoes this year, up 2 percent from last year’s crop. Fall potatoes produced in the San Luis Valley totaled 19.94 million hundredweight compared with 19.31 million hundredweight produced last year. Fall potatoes grown in all other areas in Colorado totaled 1.68 million hundredweight compared with 1.91 million hundredweight last year. Average yield, at 391 hundredweight per acre, increased 9 hundredweight per acre from the combined yield attained last year. The harvested area, estimated at 55,300 acres is down from the 55,600 acres harvested last year.

UNITED STATES HIGHLIGHTS

Corn production is forecast at 14.6 billion bushels, down 1 percent from the October forecast but up less than 1 percent from last year. Based on conditions as of November 1, yields are expected to average 178.9 bushels per acre, down 1.8 bushels from the October forecast but up 2.3 bushels from 2017. If realized, this will be the highest yield and second highest production on record for the United States. Area harvested for grain is forecast at 81.8 million acres, unchanged from the previous estimate but down 1 percent from 2017.

Sorghum production is forecast at 364 million bushels, down 5 percent from the October forecast and down slightly from last year. Area harvested for grain is forecast at 5.09 million acres, unchanged from the previous forecast but up 1 percent from last season. Based on conditions as of November 1, yield is forecast at 71.4 bushels per acre, 3.6 bushels lower than the previous forecast and 0.7 bushel lower than the 2017 yield of 72.1 bushels per acre.

Production of sugarbeets, for the 2018 crop year, is forecast at 33.5 million tons, down 5 percent from last year. Producers expect to harvest 1.10 million acres, down 1 percent from last year. Expected yield is forecast at 30.5 tons per acre, a decrease of 1.2 tons from last year.

Production of fall potatoes for 2018 is forecast at 417 million cwt, up 4 percent from last year. Area harvested, at 913,100 acres, is up 1 percent from the previous year. The average yield forecast, is a record high 457 cwt per acre, is up 13 cwt from last year’s yield.

For a full copy of the Crop Production report please visit www.nass.usda.gov.