Colorado Crop Progress

From the USDA Market News Office in Greeley here is Heath Dewey shares more from with this week's USDA state Crop Progress Report

Dewey: "The NASS Crop Progress and Condition Report ending the week of August 14th. Second cutting of alfalfa at 94 percent complete and third cutting at 32 percent complete. Pasture and range conditions percentages were at 3 percent very poor, 6 percent poor, 25 percent fair, 57 percent good and 9 percent excellent. Stored feeds were short 2 percent, adequate 73 percent and surplus 25 percent."

The NASS Colorado Crop Progress Report based on August first states that Colorado farmers and ranchers expect to harvest 750,000 acres of alfalfa hay this year, up 50,000 acres from 2015. Alfalfa production is forecast at 2.85 million tons, down 1 percent from the 2.87 million tons produced in 2015.

Winter wheat production is forecast at 97.52 million bushels, up 2 percent from the July 1 forecast and up 23 percent from the 79.18 million bushels produced last year. As of August 1, the average yield is forecast at 46 bushels per acre, 1 bushel above the July 1 forecast and 9 bushels above last year's final yield. If realized, this would be a record winter wheat yield for Colorado, and 3 bushels above the previous record of 43 bushels per acre set in 2010.