Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Kansas agriculture officials say crop losses caused by the continuing drought have reached $1.8 billion.

The Kansas Department of Agriculture had previously estimated drought losses at $1.7 billion.

Corn acres have lost $1 billion, while the wheat crop lost to drought
was valued at $269 million.

The agriculture department says 85 percent of the state remains in some type of drought, with about 57 percent of the state in a severe drought or greater. About 15 percent of the state, mostly in the southwestern part of Kansas, is in extreme drought.

Meanwhile, the Risk Management Agency has paid $515 million in indemnity payments for crop losses this year. That's an increase from $375 million three weeks ago.