Hail Damage, Dry Conditions Affecting Colorado Corn

DENVER (AP) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture is adjusting its production forecast for Colorado corn following hail damage and dry conditions in some parts of the state.

The department this week predicted a yield of 127 bushels of corn per acre this year, which is about 24 bushels below last year's yield and three bushels less than the Aug. 1 forecast. It is expecting a total harvest of almost 159 million bushels, which is 13 percent below last year's production.

It expects Colorado sorghum production of almost 5 million bushels, down from about 7.5 million last year.

Summer potato production is forecast at 1.63 million hundredweight, up 222,000 hundredweight from last year. Sugar beet production is forecast at 746,000 tons, down from 823,000 tons last year.

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