USDA ACREAGE – JUNE 1, 2023

COLORADO HIGHLIGHTS:

Colorado’s principal crop planted area, which includes acreage planted to all major crops and those expected to be cut for all hay, is up 2 percent from 2022 to 5.76 million acres, according to the June 1 Agricultural Survey conducted by the Mountain Regional Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA.

Producers in Colorado planted 1.25 million acres of corn this year of which, they intend to harvest 1.00 million acres for grain, up from the 980,000 acres harvested in 2022. This is an increase of 2 percent from last year’s harvested grain acreage, but a 7 percent decrease in acreage planted for all purposes. Sorghum plantings, at 500,000 acres, are down 8 percent from the previous year, while the area expected to be harvested for grain, at 400,000 acres, is up 5 percent, or 20,000 acres, from 2022.
Barley planted area, at 57,000 acres, is down 7 percent from last year’s acreage. Expected harvested area, at 44,000 acres, is up
10 percent, or 4,000 acres from 2022.  Winter wheat producers planted 2.30 million acres in the fall of 2022 for harvest in 2023, up from 1.95 million acres planted during the previous crop season. Of this, 1.80 million acres are expected to be harvested for grain, an increase of 370,000 acres, or 26 percent, from last year. Proso millet seedings are expected to total 420,000 acres this year, down 6 percent from 2022.

The area expected to be harvested for all dry hay is forecast at 1.09 million acres. If realized, this would establish a new record low for all dry hay harvested area. Alfalfa hay is expected to be harvested from 600,000 acres, down 2 percent from 2022. This represents the second-lowest alfalfa hay harvested area on record, if realized. All other hay harvested area is expected to total 490,000 acres, down 40,000 acres, or 8 percent, from last year’s final estimate. If realized, this would represent a record-tying low other hay harvested area. All sunflower planted area, at 39,000 acres, is 23,000 acres, or 37 percent, below last year, and establishes a new record low. Oil type varieties totaled 29,000 acres, down 23,000 acres from 2022, while non-oil type varieties equaled 10,000 acres, unchanged from last year. Harvested area is expected to total 25,000 acres for oil type varieties, and 9,000 acres for non-oil varieties. The planted acreage and expected harvested acreage for oil type varieties are both record lows.
Sugarbeet plantings decreased 1,400 acres from last year to 22,000 acres. The expected harvested area, at 21,000 acres, is 500 acres above 2022.

Producers planted 28,000 acres to dry beans in 2023, down 20 percent from last year. Expected harvested area, at 25,000 acres, is down 8,300 acres, or 25 percent from last year. At 55,000 acres, the area in Colorado planted to potatoes is up
2,000 acres from last year. Expected harvested area totaled 54,700 acres, up 4 percent from 2022.