Wichita ? Kansas was so battered by the return of dry conditions this summer that it is now projected to harvest an even smaller milo crop than it did during last year’s drought, Kansas Agricultural Statistics Service said Friday.

As the nation’s largest milo producer, Kansas will harvest 133.3 million bushels of milo, the agency said. That is 10 percent smaller than last year’s dismal crop.

Yields are expected to average 43 bushels per acre, down 5 bushels per acre from last year. About 3.1 million acres of milo are expected to be harvested this season, KASS said.

The state’s soybean crop also is down from last year. The new forecast puts the crop at 55 million bushels, 12 percent below last year.

Yields are expected to average 22 bushels per acre, 2 bushels per acre less than a year ago. Acreage for harvest is expected to total 2.5 million acres in Kansas.

Only corn production fared better — which is nothing to brag about considering just how bad the drought was in 2002.

KASS has forecast the state’s corn production at 326 million bushels, up 14 percent from a year ago. Kansas farmers are expected to harvest 2.65 million acres of corn.

Corn yields are expected to average 123 bushels per acre, 13 bushels more than the previous year.

Among other Kansas crops:

• Kansas wheat production for 2003 is put at 480 million bushels, up 80 percent from 2002.

Average yields of 48 bushels per acre were 15 bushels above a year ago. Farmers harvested 10 million acres, about 1.9 million acres more than the previous year.

• All hay production is estimated at 7.05 million tons, up 7 percent from 2002. Kansas acreage harvested is 3.1 million acres, down 150,000 acres from last year.