Colorado Acreage Report June 1, 2024

Colorado’s principal crop planted area, which includes acreage planted to all major crops and those expected to be cut for all hay, is down 2 percent from 2023 to 5.81 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 1.37 million acres of corn this year of which, they intend to harvest 1.10 million acres for grain, up from the 1.02 million acres harvested in 2023. This is an increase of 8 percent from last year’s harvested grain acreage, and a 3 percent increase in acreage planted for all purposes.

Sorghum plantings, at 580,000 acres, are up 14 percent from the previous year, while the area expected to be harvested for grain, at 480,000 acres, is up 4 percent, or 20,000 acres, from 2023.

Barley planted area, at 48,000 acres, is down 11 percent from last year’s acreage. Expected harvested area, at 42,000 acres, is down 18 percent, or 9,000 acres from 2023.

Winter wheat producers planted 2.10 million acres in the fall of 2023 for harvest in 2024, down from 2.30 million acres planted during the previous crop year. Of this, 1.83 million acres are expected to be harvested for grain, an increase of 10,000 acres, or less than 1 percent, from last year.

Proso millet seedings are expected to total 270,000 acres this year, down 31 percent from 2023.

The area expected to be harvested for all dry hay is forecast at 1.30 million acres, up from 1.22 million acres last year. Alfalfa hay is expected to be harvested from 700,000 acres, up 50,000 acres, or 8 percent, from 2023. All other hay harvested area is expected to total 600,000 acres, up 30,000 acres, or 5 percent, from last year’s final estimate.

All sunflower planted area, at 30,000 acres, is 4,000 acres, or 12 percent, below last year. Oil type varieties totaled 25,000 acres, down 1,000 acres from 2023, while non-oil type varieties equaled 5,000 acres, down 3,000 from last year. Harvested area is expected to total 22,000 acres for oil type varieties, and 4,000 acres for non-oil varieties. The planted acreage and expected harvested acreage for all sunflowers, as well as oil and non-oil type varieties, are all record lows.

Producers in Colorado planted 10,000 acres of safflower in 2024 of which, 9,000 acres are expected to be harvested.

Sugarbeet plantings increased 1,800 acres from last year to 25,000 acres. The expected harvested area, at 24,100 acres, is 2,800 acres above 2023.

Producers planted 33,000 acres to dry beans in 2024, unchanged from last year. Expected harvested area, at 30,500 acres, is up 800 acres, or 3 percent from last year.

At 54,000 acres, the area in Colorado planted to potatoes is down 1,000 acres from last year. Expected harvested area totaled 53,800 acres, down 2 percent from 2023.