Nov. 15--As drought continues to plague Kansas, crop loses are climbing, increasing to $1.8 billion, according to the Kansas Department of Agriculture.

Previously, the department had tagged the loss at $1.7 billion, said Chelsea Good, agency spokeswoman.

Corn acres have taken the biggest hit, totaling more than $1 billion. The value of the wheat crop lost to drought was $269 million.

According to information from the agriculture department's economist, the main change from last month's projection was a decrease in expected on-farm soybean prices and a decrease in the estimated Kansas average corn yield form 105 bushels an acre to 100 bushels an acre.

Moreover, according to the Kansas Agricultural Statistics Service, corn production is estimated at 430 million bushels, down 5 percent from October and down 26 percent from last year's harvest.

All told, 85 percent of the state remains in some type of drought, with about 57 percent of the state in a severe drought or greater. Roughly 15 percent of the state, largely in the southwestern part of Kansas, is in extreme drought -- the highest ranking of the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Meanwhile, the Risk Management Agency has shelled out $515 million in indemnity payments for crop losses this year. That number has risen from $375 million three weeks ago.

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