By February of each year, insurance payouts reported by the USDA Risk Management Agency can be considered near final. This brief covers loss ratios and causes of loss for all crops and major crops. Loss ratios are calculated as indemnities divided by total premiums, which include both the producer-paid premium and premium subsidy. This information can be used to understand 2025 yield and weather patterns and their economic consequences.
The primary causes of loss reported in Table 1 make up 94% of all losses paid out to date. Both drought and excess moisture were significant contributors to crop losses in 2025. The five causes of loss listed below jointly make up 94% of all losses. Refer to Table 4 below for all causes of loss reported to date for the 2025 crop year.
Table 1. Major Causes of Loss for the 2025 Crop Year for Kansas
|
Cause of Loss |
Indemnities, $ Million |
|
Drought |
$110 |
|
Excess Moisture/Precipitation/Rain |
$91 |
|
ARPI/SCO/ECO/STAX/MP/PACE Crops Only |
$71 |
|
Hail |
$31 |
|
Heat |
$22 |
Source: USDA Risk Management Agency Summary of Business as of Feb. 12, 2026
Table 2 breaks down loss ratios by crop. Loss ratios are low relative to recent years, but higher for soybeans and wheat. Drought was the largest cause of loss for all crops other than soybeans, for which excess moisture was the largest. For corn and grain sorghum, these are the lowest state-level loss ratios since 2016.
Table 2. Loss Ratio and Major Cause of Loss by Crop, 2025
|
Crop |
State Loss Ratio |
Largest Cause of Loss |
l argest cause of loss |
|
|
Indemnities, $ Million |
Share of Total Losses |
|||
|
Corn |
0.21 |
Drought |
46 |
47% |
|
Grain Sorghum |
0.21 |
Drought |
11 |
35% |
|
Soybeans |
0.30 |
Excess Moisture/Precipitation/Rain |
38 |
74% |
|
Wheat |
0.37 |
Drought |
46 |
53% |
Source: USDA Risk Management Agency Summary of Business as of Feb. 12, 2026
Table 3 shows the loss ratio and the largest cause of loss by major crop type for select counties. Counties were selected based on having relatively high loss ratios, geographic representation, and production levels of a particular crop (Some counties with high loss ratios for a particular crop had relatively small production of that crop (some counties with high loss ratios for a particular crop had relatively small production of that crop). Through this analysis, a consistent pattern arises. Across counties in the southeastern part of Kansas, excess moisture was a predominant cause of loss. For most other counties and crops, drought was the predominant cause of loss. For two counties in southwest Kansas, Stanton and Hodgeman, hail damage was the largest cause of loss for wheat.
Table 3. Loss Ratio and Largest Cause of Loss for Select Counties and Crops
|
County |
Crop |
Loss Ratio |
Largest Cause of Loss |
|
Decatur |
All |
0.89 |
Drought |
|
Labette |
All |
0.89 |
Excess Moisture/Precipitation/Rain |
|
Sumner |
All |
0.63 |
Excess Moisture/Precipitation/Rain |
|
Thomas |
All |
0.79 |
Drought |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cloud |
Corn |
0.70 |
Drought |
|
Lyon |
Corn |
0.48 |
Excess Moisture/Precipitation/Rain |
|
Ness |
Corn |
0.66 |
Drought |
|
Sheridan |
Corn |
0.84 |
Drought |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cloud |
Grain Sorghum |
0.73 |
Drought |
|
Logan |
Grain Sorghum |
0.68 |
Drought |
|
Phillips |
Grain Sorghum |
0.47 |
Drought |
|
Sumner |
Grain Sorghum |
0.49 |
Excess Moisture/Precipitation/Rain |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cherokee |
Soybeans |
1.59 |
Excess Moisture/Precipitation/Rain |
|
Cloud |
Soybeans |
0.48 |
Drought |
|
Harper |
Soybeans |
0.41 |
Excess Moisture/Precipitation/Rain |
|
McpHerson |
Soybeans |
0.71 |
Excess Moisture/Precipitation/Rain |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hodgeman |
Wheat |
0.83 |
Hail |
|
Stanton |
Wheat |
0.46 |
Hail |
|
Sumner |
Wheat |
0.76 |
Excess Moisture/Precipitation/Rain |
|
Thomas |
Wheat |
1.00 |
Drought |
Source: USDA Risk Management Agency Summary of Business as of Feb. 12, 2026
Accompanying maps show loss ratio by county, for all crops, corn, grain sorghum, and wheat. These maps show overall relatively low loss ratios, with pockets of substantially higher loss ratios (maps are available to view on AgManager.info).
Table 4. All Reported Causes of Loss for 2025
|
Close of Loss |
Total Indemnity |
|
Drought |
$110,000,000 |
|
Excess Moisture/Precipitation/Rain |
$90,500,000 |
|
ARPI/SCO/ECO/STAX/MP/PACE Crops Only |
$70,800,000 |
|
Hail |
$31,300,000 |
|
Heat |
$21,900,000 |
|
Plant Disease |
$4,466,365 |
|
Decline in Price |
$4,363,453 |
|
Hot Wind |
$3,730,481 |
|
Wind/Excess Wind |
$3,377,238 |
|
Flood |
$2,251,664 |
|
Freeze |
$913,637 |
|
Cold Wet Weather |
$702,037 |
|
All Other Causes |
$685,495 |
|
Insects |
$387,351 |
|
Cold Winter |
$302,695 |
|
Mycotoxin |
$168,850 |
|
Other (Snow, Lightning, Etc.) |
$144,307 |
|
Tornado |
$86,094 |
|
Wildlife |
$77,181 |
|
Inability to Prepare Land for Irrigation |
$53,593 |
|
Failure of Irrigation Supply |
$47,873 |
|
Frost |
$38,325 |
|
Failure of Irrigation Equipment |
$5,893 |
|
Total |
$346,302,531 |
Source: USDA Risk Management Agency Summary of Business as of Feb. 12, 2026
For more information about this publication and others, visit AgManager.info.
Jennifer Ifft, Flinchbaugh Ag Policy Chair and K-State Extension Specialist
jifft@ksu.edu
Tags: crop insurance crop loss